UPDATE
Thursday, July 24
6:30 a.m.
Efforts to rescue three drillers who have been trapped underground at the Red Chris Mine in Northwest B.C. since July 22 continue.
A Newmont spokesperson in an email to Black Press confirmed Thursday, July 24, the workers are understood to be sheltering in a MineARC refuge chamber designed to support 16 people and that additional refuge chambers are also available nearby and accessible if required.
"The company spokesperson noted they have deployed specialized drones to assess the geotechnical conditions underground.
It is estimated that debris blocking access to the underground area is approximately 20 to 30 metres long and seven to eight meters high and the area of the refuge chambers is not in the same area as the ground fall and is understood to be stable and well-ventilated.鈥�
Crews have commenced using a remote-controlled scoop, that was transported from the nearby Brucejack mine, to begin removing debris and restore access beyond the incident site.
鈥淭eams are restoring the specialized communication system (leaky feeder system) in attempts to re-establish communication with the workers.鈥�
Last night, Hytech Drilling based in Smithers, B.C., confirmed the workers are their employees working on contract for Newmont.
Production at Red Chris has been paused to allow full focus on rescue efforts and re-establishing communication.
ORIGINAL
Wednesday, July 23
A rescue operation is underway at Red Chris gold mine in Northwest B.C. according to B.C.'s premier, David Eby.
"There are three miners that are currently trapped underground. They are, to the best of our knowledge, uninjured and in a refuge area," the premier said during closing remarks at the Council of Federation First Ministers conference in Huntsville, Ont. this morning.
"The company is working with our world-leading mining rescue teams. BC miners are the best in the world. Our rescue teams are exceptional, and they will be working overtime to bring these workers home safely to their families," he added.
Newmont, the global gold mining company that owns the mine, said in a statement that the miners鈥攖wo from B.C. and one from Ontario鈥攚ere trapped by two "fall of ground incidents" that occurred in the access way to the underground work area of a project at the mine.
鈥淎t the time of the initial incident, three business partner employees were working more than 500 meters beyond the affected zone and were asked to relocate to a designated refuge station before a subsequent fall of ground blocked the access way," the statement said.
The company received confirmation that the workers were safely in the refuge bay before the second incident cut off communication, but Newmont says the refuge bays are equipped with adequate food, water and ventilation to support an extended stay.
A statement from the B.C. minister of mining, Jagrup Brar, said Newmont is leading the rescue operation.
鈥淲e are aware of the incident at Red Chris Mine in Northwestern B.C. and are working closely with the mine operator to support them," he said. "Our thoughts are with the workers, their families and co-workers, and we will do everything we can to support the company鈥檚 efforts to ensure the affected workers are brought to safety as soon as possible."
Brar is currently on a tour of northwest mining operations and was scheduled to visit Red Chris tomorrow. That visit has been cancelled "so that everyone can focus on the issue at hand," said a spokesperson for the ministry.
