Rescue efforts underway at B.C. mine where three workers are trapped underground

DEASE LAKE — Rescue efforts are continuing at a northern B.C. mine where three workers are trapped underground.

Operator Newmont Corp. has said it was working to assemble specialist teams from nearby mine sites to respond to the situation at the Red Chris Mine in a remote area near Dease Lake, B.C.

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The three contractors, two from British Columbia and one from Ontario, were trapped Tuesday after two “fall of ground incidents,” in what the company says is the access way to the underground work area.

It says the workers were more than 500 metres beyond the first fall and were asked to relocate to a designated refuge station before a second collapse blocked the access way and restricted communication.

The company says that before communication was cut, the workers confirmed they were in a refuge bay, which has enough food, water and ventilation for an “extended stay.”

The company has said it was assessing technologies to restore communication and bring the workers to surface, while Premier David Eby, who announced the accident on Wednesday, says a senior geotechnical inspector has been sent to support the rescue.

Imperial Metals Corp. has a minority stake in the mine and has said that its priority is ensuring the safety of the three workers and the emergency response teams supporting the rescue effort.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 24, 2025.

The Canadian Press