Worker dies at underground B.C. gold mine, the second fatality in 3 years

A worker has died on the job at the Brucejackunderground gold mine in a remote part of northwestern B.C., according to a written statement from Newcrest MiningissuedMonday, five days after the man's death.

The mine is about 970 kilometres north of Vancouverand 65 kilometres north of Stewart.

In the statement released by the company's Australian head office, Newcrestcalls the workplace fatality an "isolated incident" involving an employee of Brucejack'smain contractor, Procon.

It's the second worker fatality at Brucejackin less than three years.

In August2020, a worker diedthree days after he was injured while doing maintenance above ground.

At the time of the 2020 fatality, the mine was operated byPretivm Resource, a Vancouver-based gold producer.

After the worker's death last week, Newcrest said ittemporarily suspended operations while mine rescue teams and investigators tried to ensure safe access to the incident locationforrecovery effortsusing special equipment.

In an email to CBC News, Vlada Cvijetinovic,Newcrest'svice president for legal and investor relations for the Americas, said the recovery effort took four days and was completed Wednesday night.

Cvijetinovic said no other employeeswere in the area where the miner died, and counselling is being offered to workers.

"This incident is a stark reminder that there is nothing more important than people's safety, health, and well-being," said Newcrestmanaging director and CEO Sandeep Biswas.

Biswas said the loss of a colleague was "devastating news ... The feeling of profound sadness when a life is lost is never forgotten."

NewcrestMining's website states its corporate objectives include "zero fatalities or life-changing injuries" by 2025.

Worker fatalities at mines in British Columbia are not under the jurisdiction of WorkSafeBCbut under the Ministry of Energy, Minesand Low Carbon Innovation.

A ministry spokesperson told CBC News all mining and processing operations at Brucejackremain suspended.

The spokesperson said its Mines Investigation Unit, which has specialized expertise, has been probing the death since Oct.22 and remains on scene at Brucejack.

The Mines Act gives the chief inspector of mines the authority to investigate an incident that causes the loss of life.

According to Newcrest, Brucejack is a remote and logistically challenging minein a mountainous area surrounded by glaciers. The underground mine reaches 650 metres in depth at some points.

It's one of the highest grade operating gold mines in the world.