A 39-year-old man has died in a mining incident in Sparwood, B.C.
Elk Valley RCMP said officers were called on Nov. 20, around 7 a.m., to Elk View Operations after it was reported that the man was missing on site.
Mine Rescue teams were already looking for the man, who is a resident of Hosmer, B.C., and the RCMP then joined the search.
On Friday morning, Elk Valley RCMP confirmed that a contractor working on the site had died and his remains were recovered.
“Our heartfelt sympathies go out to the family, friends, and colleagues of this person,” Mike Carrucan, CEO of Elk Valley Resources, said in a statement.
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“This is an incredibly difficult time for our Elkview Operations workforce, and we are ensuring support services and counselling are available.”
RCMP did not give any details as to what happened to the man or where he went missing in the mine.
“At this time we’re still determining the exact cause of the incident and what exactly happened, but we haven’t 100 per cent ruled out criminality, but it is highly unlikely and it is not suspected at this time,” Cpl. Brett Urano, division media relations officer with the BC RCMP, told Global News.
The B.C. Coroner’s Service has been called in and the Ministry of Mining was also notified of the man’s death.
The victim’s name is not being released at this time.
Urano confirmed the mine is currently shut down while the investigation into what happened continues.
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