New Afton Mine.
(JENNIFER STAHN / iNFOnews.ca)
February 02, 2021 - 8:32 AM
One person is dead and two others injured following an underground mud slide at the New Afton Mine near Kamloops early this morning.
The New Afton Mine experienced what is called a mud rush, according to a press release issued by Toronto-based New Gold Inc. The incident occurred at approximately 1:40 a.m. today, Feb. 2.
A contract driller is presumed to be dead and two New Gold employees received non-life-threatening injuries and received medical care. The names of the individuals will not be released until next of kin have been notified, the company said.
The RCMP, provincial safety authorities and the mine's emergency management system were notified and are on site. All activities have been suspended while the company and authorities investigate.
"The thoughts of the board of directors and management are with the family, friends and colleagues that have been impacted by this unfortunate incident," the press release reads.
Additional details will be provided as they become available, the company said.
The company website says New Afton is an open pit and underground mine that employs about 500 people and has been producing an average of 85,000 ounces of gold and 75-million pounds of copper annually since it opened in 2012.
Energy Minister Bruce Ralston issued a statement about the mine saying the mudslide occurred underground.
"The New Afton Mine and those who work there are familiar to me, being one of the first sites I visited at the start of my tenure as minister," he said in a statement. "Work at the mine site has been suspended and the chief inspector of mines has initiated an investigation and is in contact with RCMP and the coroner's office."
— This story was updated at 3:22 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2021 to include a statement from the minister.
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