In a labyrinth of tunnels running beneath 4,000-metre peaks, Tajik miners are scrabbling to secure antimony, one of the metals at the centre of a worldwide race for rare minerals. The miners drill sample holes 50 metres (165 feet) long to check for minerals and can dig a 54-metre tunnel for extraction in half a day, said underground site manager Kholmakhmad Khakimzoda.
