Cerro de Pasco, owner of the Santander mine in Peru, has confirmed the death of one of its workers during underground preparation and development activities at the polymetallic site.
The company said it was informed of the incident by its mining contractor; it specifically occurred at the South zone of the Magistral mine on 31 January.
All mining activities were suspended as of 1 February, and Cerro de Pasco said it is working with government authorities on-site to investigate the cause. It also is working with the victim’s family and fellow workers to provide support.
It did not release any additional details of the incident, or how long it expects to keep production idle.
“We are all greatly saddened by this tragic accident that resulted in the death of a miner and extend our sincere condolences to the family, friends and colleagues,” said CEO Guy Goulet.
“Safety has always been a top priority for the company and we will ensure this accident is fully investigated.”
Cerro de Pasco acquired Santander from Trevali Mining in November 2021.
Trevali’s guidance for 2021 for Santander, which is located northeast of Lima, indicated the mine will produce approximately 50-55 million pounds of payable zinc, along with 4 million lbs. of payable lead and 282-297,000 ounces of payable silver annually.
Source: Cerro de Pasco