Peru tries to rescue seven miners trapped by landslide

LIMA (Reuters) – Rescuers worked frantically on Wednesday to free seven miners trapped for two days in a tunnel covered by a landslide in southern Peru, authorities said on Wednesday.

One miner managed to escape early Tuesday but emergency workers were not notified of the incident until late Tuesday night, said Cristopher Lopez of the Nazca firefighting unit leading the rescue efforts.

President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski said on Twitter the government would lend any support needed to rescue the miners.

It was unclear who, if anyone, owned the mine where those trapped were working. Many illegal gold miners work in makeshift mines in the district of Acari in the province of Caraveli where the landslide occurred.

(Reporting by Mitra Taj; Editing by James Dalgleish)