An accident like the one that trapped 33 miners in Chile is unlikely to happen in British Columbia, said Gavin Dirom, president and CEO of the Association for Mineral Exploration B.C.
“Our safety record here is incredible.”
The province’s modern underground mines must have more than one exit, so the chances of miners getting trapped are slim, Dirom said, adding that B.C. has not had an incident like the one in Chile “in many, many, many, many years.” He did not specify, however.
“It’s an amazing story about technology and the ability to direct a drill down that far,” said Dirom. “All that technology has been honed in B.C. and Canada.”
Our miners themselves are also highly trained for emergencies. If there were an earthquake in Vancouver, mining rescue teams from around the province would be there to help, Dirom said.
“They’re incredibly talented and skilled at underground recovery of people,” he said. “I take comfort in that as a Vancouverite.”
