Trapped Workers at Red Chris Mine in Western Canada Face Challenging Rescue Effort

As a remote-controlled scoop begins to remove debris from rockfalls, three workers remain trapped at the Red Chris mine in Western Canada. The workers, business-partner employees from British Columbia and Ontario, are sheltering in a MineARC refuge chamber designed to support 16 people, with additional refuge chambers available nearby. The mine company, Newmont Corp., has confirmed that the workers have enough air, food, and water for an extended stay, although communication with them has been cut off since the second cave-in. Production at the mine has been paused while the rescue effort continues.

Key Takeaways:

• Three workers are trapped at the Red Chris mine in Western Canada, with two from British Columbia and one from Ontario.
• The workers are sheltering in a MineARC refuge chamber designed to support 16 people, with additional refuge chambers available nearby.
• The mine company, Newmont Corp., has confirmed that the workers have enough air, food, and water for an extended stay.
• Communication with the trapped workers has been cut off since the second cave-in on Tuesday.
• Production at the mine has been paused while the rescue effort continues.
• The mine is mostly open pit, but a development of underground block-cave mining began in 2019, four years after the mine’s first production date.
• The workers were working over 500 meters past the affected zone when the first rocks fell.

Statistics:

• The heap of rocks blocking access to the trapped workers is 20-30 meters long and 7-8 meters high.
• The workers have enough air, food, and water for an extended stay.
• The mine company, Newmont Corp., has sent specialized drones to assess the geotechnical conditions underground.
• The rescue effort has been ongoing since the second cave-in on Tuesday.

Sources:

• Newmont Corp. statement, referring to the safe haven where the workers are staying.
• Newmont Corp. statement, regarding the mine's development of underground block-cave mining.
• The Associated Press, copyright 2025.