LKAB iron mine in Arctic Sweden reports hostile incidents to police
Only few days after someone vandalised company machinery, an armed person made it into one of the north Swedish iron miner’s drill sites.
During nighttime to the 5th of September, a masked person apparently carrying a weapon made it into one of LKAB’s new mining areas in Kiruna, northern Sweden.
There were people working on site, but none of them were injured, the company informs.
Operations at the mine have been temporarily halted and the incident reported to the police.
The threatening appearance took place at Per Geijer, the company’s new mining area for rare earth elements.
It is the second case reported to the police over the last week. On the 30th of August, someone vandalised four drilling machinery units in the same area.
LKAB now says it is strengthening security around its facilities. The company has also reached out to the Swedish Security Police (Säpo).
The Per Geijer is considered one of Europe’s largest deposit of rare earth elements. According to the company it holds more than one million tonnes of oxides. LKAB is now in the process of investigate the deposit and a big number of exploration drilling operations is planned in the the coming years.
The state-owned company is the biggest iron producer in Europe. It has the lion’s share of its operations in and around Kiruna, the north Swedish town.
Kiruna is located in Sapmi, the region originally dominated by the Sámi people.
Related stories from around the North :
Canada: Damage at Yukon’s Eagle mine site could be ‘worst-case scenario,’ says local mayor, CBC News
Sweden: Swedish developer GRANGEX buys iron ore mine on Norway’s border to Russia, The Independent Barents Observer
United Stated: Canada and U.S. make co-investment in Fortune Minerals N.W.T. project, The Canadian Press
