[ad_1]
Sudbury –
A rescue operation is underway Monday for 39 people trapped underground at the Totten de Vale mine in Sudbury, Ont., Confirmed CTV News.
Nick Larochelle, president of Steelworkers Local 6500, told CTV’s Lyndsay Aelick that 39 people, including 30 Steelworkers, have been trapped underground since Sunday.
Larochelle said the miners went underground on Sunday at 7 a.m. to start their shifts. At 11:30 am, an incident occurred which caused damage to the well.
Mine rescue is on hand to bring people to the surface, he added, and at the moment there are no casualties.
Larochelle said medicine and food had been sent to the miners, but added he was very worried about the employees.
Vale spokeswoman Danica Pagnutti said CTV miners got trapped when the elevator that carried them outside the mine was damaged.
“There is a transportation system, or what is commonly called a cage, that transports both employees on one level,” Pagnutti said. piece of equipment suspended under the transport system and it became dislodged, causing damage to the shaft and rendering the transport system unusable.
She was optimistic that the miners would soon be on the surface.
“The process continued all day and we expect them to be on the surface tonight. So it shouldn’t be too long now.
And in a press release, Vale said the workers are “mobilizing to leave the underground mine after the transportation for transporting the workers was taken offline, following an incident in the shaft.”
“Employees will exit via a secondary exit ladder system with support from the Vale Mine Rescue Team,” the statement said.
“The incident happened on Sunday afternoon. The employees were underground at the time and immediately went to the refuge stations as part of our normal procedures, and we were in frequent communication with them. since the incident. “
The company said it was doing everything it could “to keep these employees safe and would provide further updates as they become available.”
Located in Worthington, 40 kilometers west of Vale’s Copper Cliff complex, the Totten mine opened in 2014 and employs around 200 people, according to Vale’s website.
The northern ontario mine produces copper, nickel and other precious metals. The main mine shaft is 4,130 feet below the surface.
This story will be updated as soon as we have more information.
[ad_2]
Source link