MSHA releases report on Nyrstar “underground incident”

An accident report from the Mine Safety and Health Administration revealed new details about the ‘underground incident’ on July 12 that left one dead. The report identified the victim as 36 year old Alan Whitaker who had over three years of experience in mining. Around 4:45 a.m., a portion of the mine roof and a rib fell on the loader Whitaker was using. He died the next morning. A rib is the side of a pillar or wall of an entrance. There were no other injuries. The mine is located off Andrew Johnson Highway and owned by Nyrstar, which employs about 440 people at three mines in East Tennessee.