SANTIAGO, Sept 23 (Reuters) - Operations at the world's largest copper mine, BHP's (BHP.AX) Escondida mine in Chile, were suspended on Wednesday after a worker was killed in an accident, the firm said.
BHP said the worker had been killed while carrying out maintenance work. The union representing the site had previously told Reuters that the accident involved a front-end loader frequently used by the industry.
"All operational activities at the mine have been suspended," BHP said in a statement, without giving a timeline for when they may restart.
Typically in Chile, mines may only kick off activities after a fatal incident once inspectors verify that conditions are safe enough for a restart.
Escondida is located in Chile's Atacama Desert. BHP operates the mine, while Rio Tinto (RIO.L) holds a 30% stake and Japan-based JECO Corp 12.5%.
BHP had estimated the site would produce up to 1.28 million metric tons of the red metal this year.
Reporting by Fabian Cambero; Writing by Kylie Madry; Editing by Franklin Paul, Anthony Esposito and Nick Zieminski
