No injuries reported as fire burns underground at Donkin coal mine in Cape Breton

There are no reported injuries as a fire burns underground at the Donkin coal mine in Cape Breton Sunday evening.

James Edwards, the Cape Breton Regional councillor for the area, said he heard about the fire just before 7 p.m. AT.

He said there was an indication that the fire may have been started by one of the mine’s conveyor belts.

The Donkin Fire Department is responding to the fire.

Other volunteer departments had responded but were released because they’re not trained to go underground.

“The mine is just following the procedures to assess damage and take it from there,” Edwards said.

“But the big news is there’s no injuries, everyone’s safe. I really don’t know the extent of the fire … but there’s a lot of smoke.”

A security guard at the mine’s gate told a CBC News reporter that staff were too busy underground to speak to media Sunday evening.