Vault Minerals has temporarily suspended operations at the King of the Hills mine in Western Australia following a fatal light vehicle incident involving a contractor worker.
The company said an employee of DeltaFM, a subcontractor engaged by the site’s catering contractor, died after the vehicle they were travelling in left the site access road on the morning of April 7.
According to Vault, the worker was a passenger in the light vehicle, which was travelling along a 40km/h section of the access road at the time of the incident. The driver sustained minor injuries and is receiving medical treatment.
Vault said it is not aware of any other personnel or vehicles being involved.
The incident has been reported to WA Police and the Department of Local Government, Industry Regulation and Safety (LGIRS), with the company assisting authorities with their investigations.
Operations at the King of the Hills site were voluntarily paused to allow WA Police and LGIRS to complete their site investigations, with activities expected to resume today.
“The company extends its sincere condolences to the deceased’s family, friends and colleagues and is providing support to the workforce during this difficult time,” Vault said in a statement.
The Leonora operations, where the incident occurred, are located about 900km north-east of Perth and 25km north of Leonora in the state’s Goldfields region. The operation includes the King of the Hills mine open pit and underground mines, the Darlot mine satellite underground mine, and the King of the Hills processing facility.
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