A 40-year-old miner has been trapped following a workplace accident at a chrome mine in the Tërnovë e Madhe area of Bulqizë, northern Albania, authorities said.

According to preliminary information released by Albanian police, the worker, identified by the initials I.K., a resident of Burrel, was working as a miner and shift supervisor at a private mining company when he allegedly fell into a mining shaft during operations.

Authorities said the miner is believed to have been covered by chrome material following the fall. Rescue teams and police services were immediately deployed to the scene and are continuing operations to locate and recover the worker.

The accident was reported at around 1:00 p.m. local time, according to the police statement.

An investigative team has also been assigned to determine the full circumstances surrounding the incident, including the causes that led to the workplace accident.

Mining accidents have repeatedly raised safety concerns in Albania, particularly in chrome-producing areas such as Bulqizë, one of the country's main mining regions.