BHP Billiton Closes Perseverance Nickel Mine After Rockfall
June 10 2009 - 7:11PM
Dow Jones News
BHP Billiton Ltd. (BHP) said Thursday it has closed the
Perseverance nickel mine in Western Australia state after a
rockfall trapped a miner underground.
BHP said the rockfall was caused by a seismic event and that all
employees and contractors were safe and accounted for, but one
employee remained trapped underground.
The worker took refuge in a safety chamber underground and, at
1030 GMT, BHP said he had passed the rockfall and was expected to
be out safely within half an hour.
"As a result of the incident, operations at the Perseverance
underground mine have been suspended," BHP said in a statement.
-By Alex Wilson, Dow Jones Newswires; 61-3-9292-2094;
alex.wilson@dowjones.com