Three contract workers at Newmont's Red Chris copper and gold mine in British Columbia were rescued after being trapped underground for 60 hours, the company said on Friday.
Some operations at the mine have resumed but the underground mine remains suspended, Bernard Wessels, global group head for health, safety, and security at Newmont, said at a news conference.
Wessels said Newmont will reopen the underground mine after a comprehensive investigation into the incident.
The three miners from Hy-Tech Drilling: Kevin Coumbs, Darien Maduke, Jesse Chubaty were trapped after two "fall of ground" incidents at the mine's accessway. Fall of ground refers to the walls and floors of a mine collapsing, a major safety risk for the industry.
The miners lost communication for two days and were sheltering in a designated sheltering area of the mine, known as "Refuge Bay."
"They were in good spirits, walked to the vehicle on their own, and were relieved to be out," Wessels said. The three miners followed safety protocol and stayed exactly where they were supposed to stay, he added.
Newmont has a 70% stake in the mine, with the remaining 30% held by Imperial Metals Corp.
Wessels said Newmont was doing a thorough check of the psychological state of the miners. Newmont said that it does monthly investigations on its operations, and this incident caught the company by surprise.
The Red Chris mine was acquired by Newmont as part of its larger acquisition of Australian miner Newcrest in 2023. There are two mines at Red Chris, one is an open pit mine and the other is underground.
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