An explosion at a coal mine near Elkford, B.C. has sent three people to hospital with various burn injuries.
The blast happened Sunday at around 11 a.m. Mountain Time at the Greenhills Mine, north of Elkford.
It originated in the mine’s pulverizing room, which was unoccupied at the time, but two men and a woman standing outside suffered second and third-degree burns, according to BC Ambulance Service.
Their injuries are not considered life-threatening.
Two of the victims were originally taken to hospital in Sparwood while one was sent to Fernie.
The two sent to Sparwood have since been airlifted to a Calgary hospital, BCAS says.
Elkford councillor Mandy McGregor said she heard ambulance sirens, and then saw police cars speed towards Greenhills Sunday morning.
“The RCMP car and truck both come speeding through the four-way stop and headed to the mine hill,” she said.
McGregor said the explosion will have a huge impact on the tight-knit community.
“If you don’t know who was involved, you’re going to know someone who knows who was involved,” she said. “We’re a small community. The first thing that goes through anybody’s mind is who do I know there?”
Teck Resources Ltd., which operates the Greenhills Mine, said in a statement that “appropriate regulatory authorities have been notified” and an internal investigation launched to find out what went wrong.
B.C.’s chief mines inspector also confirmed Sunday it would be investigating the incident.
Two inspectors are heading to the mine site to probe the blast, a government spokesman said.
The company said the incident has not seriously impacted the facility.
It's not the first explosion to occur at the mine. In 2010, an explosion in a coal dryer destroyed a protective layer of cladding, and four workers were treated for minor smoke inhalation.
