40,000 tons of water 'can deluge rescuers in diamond mine searching for missing 8 men'

Rescuers are braving 'extremely dangerous conditions' to seek miners trapped underground after flooding of the Mir diamond complex in Yakutia. 

Deputy head of the Emergencies Ministry Vladlen Aksyonov warned: 'There are over 40,000 tons of water above which can break through at anymoment and no-one knows when.' 

While industrial pumps are being used to pump the water away, 'the water flow to the pit continues'.

He admitted: 'Miners and rescuers who are looking for people underground are in very difficult, dangerous conditions.'

Water continues to build up in the giant open case mine above the underground tunnels 'but the search continues' round the clock, he said.

The situation was 'consistently difficult', he said. 

A total of 143 workers came out of the mine alive on Friday and Saturday after appalling flooding. 

Rescuers have established the location of three of the missing miners but it is unclear now if the missing eight have survived.

It is hard to reach them because of piles of rocks and metal debris. 

Some 330 people and 35 items of equipment are involved in the search.

Officials say 7,540 metres out of 8,500 non-flooded working tunnels have been checked. 

But some parts of the underground complex are blocked with silt and debris from Friday's flooding. 

A criminal case is underway into whether the flooding was caused by negligence. 

Relatives are 'waiting and praying' in Mirny for news of the rescue operation.