Chile’s Codelco to restart some mining projects after worker deaths

SANTIAGO (Reuters) – Chile’s state-owned Codelco, the world’s prime copper miner, expects to step by step restart operations at a few of its mining tasks on Monday, following the demise of two staff earlier this month, the corporate stated in an announcement on Sunday.

Codelco had halted all its mining building tasks pending a security overview final week, because of the two deaths, which occurred at totally different mining websites.

The resumption of operations will begin with infrastructure work, the corporate stated, after which transfer on within the subsequent few days to incorporate underground mines.

One of many staff died within the building venture to increase the Chuquicamata mine and rework its open pit into an underground mine. The opposite employee died on the small Salvador mine.

Codelco has agreed along with its employee unions to create a joint fee to analyze security issues inside the corporate following the employee deaths.

Chile’s mining regulator, Sernageomin, stated final week that it had discovered security irregularities on the Salvador mine.

(Reporting by Natalia Ramos; Enhancing by Leslie Adler)