STILLWATER COUNTY, MT - A worker at the Stillwater Mine has died following an electrical incident that occurred underground early Saturday morning.
Stillwater Mine Vice President Heather McDowell tells MTN News the employee was performing routine maintenance on the east side of the mine when the incident happened. Operations were immediately shut down and the night shift was canceled.
The mine remains closed and will resume on a shift-by-shift basis as the investigation continues.
Federal officials with the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) are on site, along with internal investigators.
The name of the employee has not been released, pending notification by the family.
“We are heartbroken for the family,” McDowell said. “Our hearts are also with the folks who work at the site and are impacted by this loss.”
McDowell says the mine had been eight months without a safety incident and was on track for one of its best safety records in history.
