Canada reported that dozens of miners still trapped underground Monday in a Canadian mine in Sudbury, Northern Ontario.
Officials said 39 miners were stranded in Vale's Totten Mine after a shaft was damaged around noon Sunday.
There are no injuries, the company said in a release as rescue operations begin.
My thoughts are with the 39 miners trapped underground in Sudbury.
— Jagmeet Singh (@theJagmeetSingh) September 27, 2021
I'm sending strength and solidarity to their families and the rescue team working to bring them home.https://t.co/cGpBhEwHl0
"We are doing everything we can to ensure the safety of these employees..." the company release said.
But Nick Larochelle, president of Local 6500 of the United Steelworkers, told CTV News that he is concerned for the trapped men.
Rescue operations are underway with workers "mobilizing to exit the underground mine after the conveyance for transporting employees was taken offline, following an incident in the shaft," the company statement said.
"The employees will exit via a secondary egress ladder system with support of Vale's mine rescue team."
Our thoughts are with the 39 miners trapped underground in #Sudbury as rescue teams work to get them safely above ground.
— Doug Ford (@fordnation) September 27, 2021
We understand this rescue will take some time and are very relieved to hear the miners are currently uninjured.https://t.co/IpmCwnN1ZP
The company said it has been in frequent communication with the trapped miners.
The mine is located near Sudbury, with a population of about 165,000 and is about four hours north of Toronto. The Totten mine produce copper, nickel, cobalt, platinum, gold and silver, and has about 200 employees, according to the company.
The company website states that Vale has been operating mines in Sudbury for more than 100 years. It has five mines, a mill, smelter, refinery and almost 4,000 employees, making it one of the largest integrated mining complexes in the world.
This article has been adapted from its original source.
