Russia’s Diamond Hole is So Vast Helicopters are Banned from Flying Over it In Case They are Sucked in
The Mir mine in Eastern Siberia, dubbed ‘Diamond City’, is so vast it creates a vortex potentially strong enough to suck helicopters into its depths.
The crater is 1,722-feet-deep and 1 mile in diameter.
The mine is valued at about $16 billion, being the total amount of diamond already produced and the remaining reserves.
The airspace above it is closed after alleged incidents of helicopters being sucked downwards.
‘Diamond City’ is owned by Russian company Alrosa, which produces about a quarter of the world’s diamond output.
At it’s peak, the mine produced on average two million carats of rough diamonds a year.
The diamond deposits were discovered by three geologists – Ekaterina Elagina, Uri Khabardin and Viktor Avdeenko.
When the news was relayed back to Moscow, digging began immediately.
Jet engines were used to blast holes in the permafrost and dynamite was used to excavate the surface rock and loosen the kimberlite ore.
The three geologists were awarded Russia’s highest award, the Lenin Prize for their efforts.
After Russia was left devastated by WW2, Soviet leader Joseph Stalin used the money made from Mir mine to help rebuild the country and turn Russia into a global superpower to rival the USA.
H/T Daily Mail
Source: Nairobi Wire
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