Four Vedanta unit miners die in Zambia accident

LUSAKA, March 25 (Reuters) – Four miners died on Friday following an accident at Zambia’s Nchanga open pit mine, owned by London-listed Vedanta Resources, police said.

The country’s mines minister said production was not impacted because the site was not yet pulling copper out of the ground.

“I have just been informed about the accident which happened at a new project site. It has not affected output because the site is under construction,” Mines Minister Maxwell Mwale said.

The Nchanga open pit mine is operated by Vedanta’s Zambian unit Konkola Copper Mines.

Company officials in London were not able to confirm details of the incident but police said four people had died.

“We are yet to get details of the accident but four people have died,” local police chief Martin Malama told Reuters.

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http://af.reuters.com/article/metalsNews/idAFLDE72O1MB20110325