Bruce Ralston, Minister of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation, has issued the following statement regarding the incident at New Afton Mine near Kamloops:

“I was saddened to hear of the tragic incident at the New Afton mine early this morning.

“A contractor was one of three workers at the mine who became trapped by an unexpected underground mudslide. While the other two were rescued and transported to hospital, the third individual is presumed dead.

“The New Afton Mine and those who work there are familiar to me, being one of the first sites I visited at the start of my tenure as minister.

“I send my sincerest condolences to the individual’s family, friends and colleagues during this difficult time.

“Work at the mine site has been suspended and the chief inspector of mines has initiated an investigation and is in contact with RCMP and the coroner’s office.

“As always, our top priority is the health and safety of all British Columbians.”