Worker injured in Minto Mine explosion released from hospital - Action News
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Worker injured in Minto Mine explosion released from hospital

The Yukon mine's manager says the shovel operator, who works for contractor Pelly Construction, hit an undetonated explosive device on Friday. 'We're certainly going to look at anything we can to do to improve our procedures.'

Mine manager says the shovel operator hit an explosive device on Friday

An aerial view of a mine, with tailings ponds, roads and buildings visible.
Capstone Mining's Minto mine in Yukon, seen here in summer 2015. An employee of contractor Pelly Construction was injured Friday in an explosion at the mine site. (Capstone Mining Corp.)

A worker injured in an explosion at Capstone Mining's Minto Mine on Friday has now been released from hospital, a mine official says.

Mine manager Ron Light says the workeran employee of Pelly Construction, the mine's main contractor was hurt whileoperating a hydraulic shovel. The shovel bucket hit an undetonatedexplosive device, shattering the glass of the excavator's cabin window with flying rock.

Light says the shovel operator was hurt by the shattered glassand was flown to hospital in Vancouver.

"It's a very rare occurrence," Light said of the explosion. "We have a good safety record at the site."

Light could not explain why the undetonateddevice was left there from an earlier shift, when blasting had been done.

"That's one of the reasons that you do an inspection post-blastto see if you notice any undetonated holes. In this case, there was no abnormalities noted after the blast was initiated, and work continued. And several shifts later they hit that cap," he said.

"We're certainly going to look at anything we can to do to improve our procedures."

Yukon health and safety officials were at the Minto siteafter the explosion on Friday. Light says the inspection into the accident is not yet complete.

Operations at the mine were temporarily suspended over the weekend, but Light says work had fully resumed by Monday night.

With files from Mike Rudyk