A new consortium has been launched to offer cover for the efforts to rescue workers trapped in mines across the world.

Munich Re Specialty – Global Markets, Syndicate at Lloyd’s  will lead the Miner Rescue Insurance consortium. The consortium, is an insurance solution designed to fund the costs of locating and rescuing miners and contractors trapped in the event of a catastrophe.

It will respond to events of flood, fire, lift shaft breakdown, power outage, earthquake, or any unexpected event where people are unable to reach the surface.

The underwriter said Miner Rescue Insurance draws on Munich Re Specialty’s depth of property and casualty underwriting expertise in this sector. The Munich Re Specialty – Global Markets, Syndicate led solution is delivered in partnership with Integra, whose 24/7 claims support and proprietary technology platforms provide real-time remote incident management capabilities from the point of first notification.

Tens of thousands of miners are trapped globally each year. However, exact counts are difficult. Many accidents happen in small, unregulated “rat-hole” or illegal mines that do not report to a central database. Official bodies track overall fatalities but do not offer a single, continuous global tally of trapped workers.

Major incidents this year include:

• Laos: Seven gold miners were trapped in a flooded cave for over a week. Five were rescued, but two remain missing.
• South Africa: Five miners were trapped 890 meters underground in February following a mudslide at the Ekapa Minerals Mine.
• Ukraine: 41 miners were temporarily trapped underground after a mine was struck in Russian-controlled Ukraine in April, though all were evacuated safely

Dan Rouse, (pic) group head of International Casualty, Munich Re Specialty – Global Markets, said: “A mine rescue incident presents a significant threat to life as well as complex operational and financial challenges in a time pressured environment. Specialist miner rescue insurance is designed to provide mining operators with access to the rapid-response infrastructure and equipment needed to manage critical rescue situations from the moment an incident occurs. While events of individuals being unable to reach the surface are rare, this product helps operators ensure the paramount focus is solely on trapped workers.”

The coverage is designed to provide financial support for the costs of specialist equipment, transportation and engineering services required in rescue operations where individuals are trapped and unable to reach the surface, subject to policy terms, conditions and limits.

“Mining operations carry an ever-present risk of emergency, from cave-ins and gas leaks to power outages, flooding and equipment failure, making them among the most hazardous working environments in the world,” Munich Re added. “In 2025, incidents across South America, Africa, and Australia demonstrated that rescue operations can demand specialist resources, significant time, and coordination.”

Dominick Hoare, group chief underwriting officer, Munich Re Specialty – Global Markets, added: “Due to the necessity of precious metals and minerals to power economic growth and climate resilience, there is an important role for specialty insurers to provide quality solutions specifically for mining. Speed of claim handling and access to specialist support is essential in these situations. Our partnership with Integra enables efficient real-time loss adjusting and is an example of the top-class service we are providing within the syndicate.”

“Mining operations carry an ever-present risk of emergency, from cave-ins and gas leaks to power outages, flooding and equipment failure, making them among the most hazardous working environments in the world.”

Dan Rouse, Munich Re