LONDON, May 15 (Reuters) - China's Zijin Mining said on Monday that one of its mines in Tibet had stopped production after an accident the previous day left six people working for a subcontractor missing. The mine is operated by Tibet Julong Copper Co., a subsidiary in which Zijin Mining holds a 50.1% stake.
Julong Copper produced 115,000 tonnes of the metal, used in power and construction, in 2022 and planned to produce 152,000 tonnes in 2023. Contact with six workers was lost when a lift cage fell during construction of shafts in the drainage system of the Julong Copper and Polymetallic Mine, Zijin said in a statement, adding that the mine had suspended production. "Search and rescue operations for the missing personnel are underway in full force," it said. The global copper market is expected to see a deficit this year of about 114,000 tonnes, the International Copper Study Group (ICSG) said in April.
(Reporting by Polina Devitt and Dominique Patton; editing by Kirsten Donovan)
