MOSCOW, April 30 (Xinhua) -- Eight people may be trapped under rubble after a mine collapsed in Russia's Magadan Region in the Far East, the regional emergency services said Thursday.

The incident occurred at the Kadykchansky open-pit coal mine in the Susuman municipal district following a rockfall, according to the regional branch of the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations.

A total of 16 rescuers and six units of equipment have been sent to the scene and an Mi-8 helicopter is being prepared for deployment, the ministry said. ■