MNeagle
14th August 2010, 09:16 AM
(CNN) -- Crews have found the bodies of two people believed to be the workers in a Nevada mining accident, operator Barrick Gold Corp. said late Friday.
The miners' names have not been released pending official confirmation. The bodies were found about 1,300 feet underground, Barrick said.
The accident occurred at 1:15 a.m. (4:15 a.m. ET) on Thursday in Elko County, Nevada. According to Barrick, two miners in an elevator were inspecting a large pipe in a vertical shaft when the pipe fell into the shaft, damaging the elevator.
All underground operations at the Meikle mine were suspended, the company said.
"This is a tragic event and we remain focused on assisting these miners' families," Greg Lang, president of Barrick's North America region, said in a statement. "The hearts and prayers of every Barrick employee are with them at this time. We place great value in our coworkers' health and safety, and we will do everything we can to prevent an incident like this from happening again."
The company said Barrick and the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration worked for more than 32 hours to reach the area where the bodies were found.
The MSHA reports at least 53 fatalities so far this year, including at least 42 coal-related deaths and at least 11 metal-related deaths.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/08/14/nevada.mine.incident/index.html?hpt=T2
The miners' names have not been released pending official confirmation. The bodies were found about 1,300 feet underground, Barrick said.
The accident occurred at 1:15 a.m. (4:15 a.m. ET) on Thursday in Elko County, Nevada. According to Barrick, two miners in an elevator were inspecting a large pipe in a vertical shaft when the pipe fell into the shaft, damaging the elevator.
All underground operations at the Meikle mine were suspended, the company said.
"This is a tragic event and we remain focused on assisting these miners' families," Greg Lang, president of Barrick's North America region, said in a statement. "The hearts and prayers of every Barrick employee are with them at this time. We place great value in our coworkers' health and safety, and we will do everything we can to prevent an incident like this from happening again."
The company said Barrick and the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration worked for more than 32 hours to reach the area where the bodies were found.
The MSHA reports at least 53 fatalities so far this year, including at least 42 coal-related deaths and at least 11 metal-related deaths.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/08/14/nevada.mine.incident/index.html?hpt=T2