Sixteen people are missing after a diamond mine in Russia flooded Friday, according to the company which owns the mine, Alrosa.
Another 102 people have been rescued from the “Mir” mine in the town of Mirny, in the Republic of Sakha, Eastern Siberia, a statement from Alrosa said.
Thirty-two more are in the process of being brought to safety, it said.
In an earlier statement Friday, the company said the incident occurred at 4:30 p.m. local time because of a “breakthrough of water into the mine from the open pit.”
It said a rescue operation was underway and that work had begun to repair the damage caused.
On its website, Alrosa describes itself as the world’s leading diamond mining company, accounting for nearly 30% of global diamond production in terms of carats.