China Gold shares may suffer after fatal landslide in Tibet
Tragedy at Tibetan mine could have further repercussions in the market as operation may be closed until it is found to be safe
The shares of Toronto and Hong Kong-listed China Gold International Resources will be under pressure today, the first trading day on the stock exchange, for the ultimate owner of the disaster-hit copper-and-gold mine in Tibet , where as many as 83 workers may have been killed by a landslide.
An analyst said China Gold's share price would be tested as mainland mining firms that had major accidents typically were asked to suspend operations to undergo safety checks and revamp. Operations can resume only after they pass inspections.
Twenty-one bodies have been recovered after 70 hours of rescue efforts, with 62 others still missing, China National Radio reported yesterday. More than one million cubic metres of earth have been excavated since the landslide struck at 6am on Friday.
Jiama mine is located at an average altitude of 4,780 metres and the chances of survival for those still trapped are slim. Altitude sickness and cold and damp weather are adding to the difficulties faced by the emergency workers.
The mine, operated by China Gold's wholly owned Tibet Huatailong Mining Development, is 68 kilometres from the regional capital, Lhasa .
Phase one began in the second-half of 2010 with an annual mining and processing capacity of 6,000 tonnes a day.