Thirty-nine miners have been trapped underground in central Canada have been brought to the surface, three days after an accident damaged the mine’s lift.
The workers at the Totten mine in Sudbury, Ontario climbed up to 4,000ft using a series of ladders, with the support of a rescue team.
The rescued miners were all in good health, according to Vale, the company responsible for the mine.
Vale Chief Executive Officer, Eduardo Bartolomeo applauded the team for the rescue operation describing it as “top priority”.
According to BBC, after they reported for the day-shift on Sunday, the miners became trapped after a heavy scoop bucket crashed into the lift system and blocked the shaft, Vale said.
The miners proceeded to refuge stations after their evacuation to eat, and remained in contact with their families and staff outside the mine.
Some responders from both Vale’s Mine Rescue team and Ontario Mine Rescue, a training and safety programme, helped with the extraction efforts. The rescue operation took two and a half days.
Edited by Adeniyi Bakare