Stop-work order after underground fire at Nova Scotia's Donkin coal mine, no injuries

Story by The Canadian Press • Today

HALIFAX — Nova Scotia’s Department of Labour says it has issued a stop-work order following a fire at the Donkin coal mine in Cape Breton.

The department says in a tweet that the fire, which broke out Sunday in the underground mine, is under control and no injuries were reported.

It says no workers were underground at the time of the incident.

The mine resumed operations last year after it was shuttered in March 2020 amid slumping coal prices and roof collapses that led to repeated government stop-work orders.

In January, it was revealed that owners Kameron Coal Management Ltd. had been cited for a lengthy list of safety violations since the operation reopened in mid-September.

The violations ranged from an unqualified employee doing electrical work and the use of an unapproved ventilation control device to the improper storage of compressed gas cylinders.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 1, 2023.