Xstrata said the death followed an incident involving the release of reject coal from a bin. The company added that local emergency services are currently at the site and an investigation is underway, with the exact cause of death yet to be determined. As a consequence of the fatality, operations at the longwall mine have been shut down. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, police said the contractor was a 59-year-old Singleton man who died after driving his truck and trailer into a coal loader at the mine just after 2am. NSW Department of Primary Industries spokesman Tom Braz said the department was still gathering details and would make a release later in the day. Xstrata spokesperson James Rickards told CIN’S sister publication International Longwall News the incident was the first fatality in Xstrata Coal’s Australian operational history.Xstrata acquired the longwall mine last year.
