TORONTO (miningweekly.com) – Canadian gold producer Iamgold reported late Thursday that a rock burst occurred underground in the afternoon at its Westwood mine, in Quebec, causing ground fall in a confined area.
While access for four people was initially blocked, they were not injured and were able to exit the mine safely. No employees were injured and all employees in the mine were evacuated, the miner said.
Gold output in the mill was not interrupted as Westwood had sufficient stockpiles and advanced underground development to the extent that it had many operating underground stopes from which to mine.
Mining in the specific area affected by the rock burst had been suspended until analysis of the situation had been completed, as worker safety remained the priority.
The Westwood emergency response team was immediately deployed and government authorities, including the provincial safety authorities and local stakeholders, were notified.