Sourcing

Authorities Investigate Worker Fatality at Gahcho Kué Mine in Canada

SourcingSep 06, 2022

Authorities Investigate Worker Fatality at Gahcho Kué Mine in Canada

All non-essential work at the mine has been temporarily suspended following the Sept. 1 incident.

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A haul truck driving past drills in the Gahcho Kué mine in Canada. Authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of a mine worker job there. (Image courtesy of De Beers Group/Ben Perry at Armoury Films)
Toronto—All non-essential work at Canada’s Gahcho Kué Mine has come to a halt following the death of a worker last week.

An employee of a contractor partner company died Sept. 1 due to injuries sustained during an incident at the mine.

“This is an extremely tragic incident and the mine joint venture partners, De Beers Group and Mountain Province Diamonds, extend our deepest condolences to the grieving family and friends of the deceased individual,” the companies said in a statement published Sept. 2 on the Mountain Province website.

De Beers Canada holds a 51 percent stake in the mine, while Mountain Province Diamonds has the remaining 49 percent.

The circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation by authorities, said the companies, noting they are unable to provide additional information at this time due to the ongoing investigation.

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“We want to commend the individual’s co-workers, the mine’s Emergency Response Team, and the onsite medical team who made every effort to save their colleague’s life,” said the companies.

A grief counselor was sent to the mine the evening of the incident and additional counseling services are available to all employees.

Located in the Northwest Territories about 280 km (174 miles) northeast of Yellowknife, Gahcho Kué officially opened in 2016, making it the world’s largest new diamond mine at the time.

The mine is expected to produce approximately 54 million carats of rough diamonds over its 13-year lifetime, said De Beers at the time of its opening.

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