SANTIAGO – Chile's State-owned miner Codelco, the world's largest copper producer, said on Sunday it partially halted work at its El Teniente mine following a fatal accident.
Operator Pedro Mena, 58, died from injuries sustained when he was hit by a rock while working in the Pilar Norte sector of the mine, the company said in a statement.
"As soon as the event occurred, the work in this sector was immediately suspended and the emergency protocols were activated," the statement said.
The accident is being investigated, Codelco said. The company did not say when production would resume.
A representative for Codelco did not immediately respond to a request for more information.
El Teniente, Codelco's biggest copper mine, produced 93 900 t of copper in the first quarter.