CHITA, July 25. /TASS/. The number of miners taking part in a hunger strike at the Darasun gold mine in Russia’s Trans-Baikal Region has grown to 87, the mine’s Director General Yevgeny Rogalev told TASS on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, 92 staff members announced that they were suspending their work due to unpaid wages since May. As many as 33 miners went on a hunger strike. By Wednesday morning, the number of hunger strikers rose to 70.

"A total of 87 people are participating in the hunger strike at the moment. They are still occupying the second floor of the office building. They have been provided with drinking water, doctors are keeping an eye on them," Rogalev said.

According to regional prosecutors, the Darasun Mine company owes 32 mln rubles ($508,600) to the miners. A criminal case has been launched against the company under Article 5.27 of the Russian Administrative Code (repeated failure of timely payment of wages).

The press service of Russia’s Federal Labor and Employment Agency said on Wednesday that the agency’s regional branch was conducting a probe into possible violations of the payment of wages law. The regional branch of the Russian Investigative Committee has also initiated a probe.

Miners’ protests

This is not the first protest held at the Darasun mine. In May 2017, 81 miners refused to leave the Yugo-Zapadnaya (or Southwestern) gold mine, protesting against low salaries and overdue wage. The protest ended only after regional Governor Natalya Zhdanova had met with the miners.

In September 2017, about 50 former staff members held a hunger strike for a few days in protest over wage arrears.