Red Chris mine in B.C. expands with safety in mind after previous collapse

Two collapses at the mine last July trapped three workers, forcing them to take shelter in a refuge station before they were rescued more than two days later.

The workers were trapped while performing exploratory drilling at the Red Chris mine to support the facility’s planned transition to block-cave underground mining.

The investigation posted on Newmont’s website found rock mass deterioration over a four-year period increased the loads placed on the ground support system, and that the mine’s previous operator didn’t use industry leading standards on its rock mass classification system.

The oversight by the previous operator, Newmont says, led to overestimation of ground quality.

“The investigation confirms that we can safely build and operate the Block Cave Project by reassessing the installed ground support, updating standards, and addressing the conditions that led to the fall of ground incident,” the report says.

Premier David Eby says the province is conducting its own review of the accident, and the plan is to take any applicable lessons learned from the case and apply them “at every mine in the province.”

“We have a shared goal with steelworkers, mine workers, with industry in the province, including Newmont, to have the safest mining sector in the world,” Eby says. “That’s our goal.”

B.C. Mining Minister Jagrup Brar says the provincial investigation is ongoing, and their findings will made public “once we have all the reports in hand.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 19, 2026.

Chuck Chiang, The Canadian Press

by The Canadian Press

Red Chris mine in B.C. expands with safety in mind after previous collapse

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