WINNEMUCCA, Nev.—A miner is missing and believed trapped after a cave-in early Tuesday at an underground gold mine near Winnemucca, authorities said.
Two mine rescue teams were sent to the scene of the early morning accident at the Getchell Mine, said Dirk Fillpot, a Mine Health and Safety Administration spokesman.
“One miner was believed to be trapped in the accident,” Fillpot said. The miner was reported to have been working on a piece of heavy machinery called a roof bolter when the ground shifted and buried the device.
It was not immediately known how far below the surface the accident occurred.
The Getchell Mine, owned jointly by Toronto-based Barrick Gold Corp. and Denver-based Newmont Mining Corp., is operated by SMD, an independent contractor, said Barrick spokesman Vincent Borg.
The missing worker is an employee of SMD, Borg said.
The company could not immediately reached for comment.
