http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/sudbury/
Disaster led to 1986 inquiry into mine ground control and emergency preparedness
June 20, 1984, is a day that still resonates in the minds of many Sudbury residents and throughout the mining community. About 200 workers were on shift at Falconbridge Mine that morning. Four of them never got out.
At 10:12 a.m., a seismic event that registered a 3.5 on the Richter scale struck the mine, causing a major rock fall and trapping many of the miners.
Despite rescue attempts over the next several days, Sulo Korpela, Richard Chenier, Daniel Lavallee and Wayne St. Michel each lost their lives. On Wednesday, an annual service commemorating the 34-year anniversary of the tragedy was held at the Mine Mill 598 Unifor Campground at Lake Richard.
Four wreaths were lined up along the shoreline next to a plaque honouring fallen workers. Among the speakers at the ceremony was union vice president Dave Stewart. He noted the tragedy spurred a number of changes in health and safety, work that continues to this day.
“Although much progress has been made in monitoring seismic activity in our mines, stemming from recommendations made by the Stevenson inquiry [into ground control and emergency preparedness in Ontario mines] in 1986, unfortunately, the risk of seismic events is still prevalent today in our mines,” noted Stewart.
For the rest of this article: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/sudbury/falconbridge-mining-tragedy-disaster-1984-1.4714641