Ivanhoe Mines on Friday reported a fatal accident at its Kamoa-Kakula joint venture in Democratic Republic of Congo, which started producing copper concentrate last week.
The accident occurred underground at the Kakula mine, Ivanhoe said in a statement, when a contractor's employee was hit in the leg by a loose rock while working at one of the working faces, causing him to fall backwards and strike his head on a rock.
"Despite immediate first-aid assistance by his colleagues, he passed away at the accident scene," Ivanhoe said.
The Kamoa-Kakula mine, a joint venture with China's Zijin Mining, started producing on May 26, several months ahead of schedule.
Kamoa-Kakula is owned by Ivanhoe (39.6%), Zijin Mining Group (39.6%), Crystal River Global Limited (0.8%) and the Congolese government (20%).