MOSCOW, August 4. /TASS/. Rescue operation is underway at the Mir mine located in the Siberian Republic of Yakutia, the security of 79 miners has been ensured, a spokesman for Russia’s diamond producer Alrosa said.

"As many as 79 miners are safe and sound, another 25 are being lifted to the surface," he said.

The company’s sources said earlier that people had been taken from the deep levels of the mine to the safe upper ones.

On August 4, at around 17:00 local time, underground water flooded a mine belonging to the Mirninsky mining and refining facility, part of the Alrosa company. According to preliminary reports, a shift consisting of 151 workers was down in the mine at the time when the incident occurred. There have been no reports of casualties.

Investigators have launched a probe into the incident. According to the press service of the regional branch of the Russian Investigative Committee, the probe is being conducted in accordance with Article 216.1 of the Russian Criminal Code (breach of safety regulations during mining).

The Mirninsky mining and refining facility that operates the Mir mine is Alrosa’s oldest enterprise. The mine was launched in 2009, its capacity amounts to one million tonnes of ore per year. In 2016, the mine produced 3.19 mln carats of rough diamonds.

This is the second emergency situation occurring in the mine within one week. On July 29, a rock slide buried a loading machine killing a mineworker.