MinRes fatality shakes WA
A worker has lost their life at Mineral Resources' Onslow Iron project in Western Australia, marking the second fatality in the Pilbara resources industry this month.
The deceased worker, a contractor, was killed at the Ken's Bore site.
Chris Ellison, the managing director of MinRes, has expressed his sorrow over the incident, stating that the company remains committed to supporting the affected family and team.
Ellison and other MinRes management have travelled to Onslow Iron to address the situation personally.
Authorities, including the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety and the police, have been informed and are also heading to the site to investigate the matter.
Their involvement aims to shed light on the circumstances surrounding the incident and ensure that necessary measures are taken to prevent such tragedies in the future.
The fatal event follows another recent workplace death in the region.
On June 3, a worker lost their life at Woodside Energy's North Rankin gas operations off the Pilbara coast.
The incident adds further challenges to MinRes, which has faced setbacks with its $3 billion Onslow Iron project.
Originally scheduled to commence iron ore shipments from Onslow by December of this year, the project has experienced significant delays, now pushing the start date well into 2024.
Approval delays have been cited as the primary cause for the project's extended timeline.
MinRes is also entangled in a legal dispute with one of the owners of the Red Hill cattle station, which encompasses the Ken's Bore site.
The dispute revolves around plans to transport iron ore through the property using jumbo road trains, exacerbating the complexities surrounding the project.