Gary Taje News Today

On Wednesday, the Nova Scotia Department of Labour said the fire at Cape Breton’s Donkin Mine was caused by an overheated ball bearing on the conveyor system — which moves coal around and out of the mine — igniting the conveyor belt.

At a press conference on Friday afternoon, the Nova Scotia Department of Labour said its investigation will wrap up next week and more information about the cause will be released at a later date.

No employees were underground during Sunday night's fire at Cape Breton’s Donkin coal mine, and the Nova Scotia Department of Labour is currently investigating the cause.

Nova Scotia's Department of Labour says it needs time to conduct a thorough investigation into the cause of an underground fire at the Donkin coal mine.

There’s a small resurgence in Canadian coal mining, but with limited data and testing, compensation boards are ill-prepared for the harm to workers’ lungs

Documents obtained by Canada’s National Observer through a freedom of information request detail an injury to a worker and multiple safety infractions relating to methane monitoring and fire hazards.

The Donkin coal mine in Cape Breton had 14 warnings, 19 compliance orders and eight administrative penalties between mid-September 2022 and Jan. 5, according to information from the Nova Scotia Department of Labour, Skills and Immigration provided to Canada’s National Observer.

More than a dozen roof cave-ins, 152 warnings, 119 compliance orders, 37 administrative penalties and a series of provincial stop-work orders. Nova Scotia's Donkin coal mine reopened this week, begging the question: what has changed?