Feds fault company in Nevada miner’s death

ELKO — Mine managers are to blame in the death of a worker at an Elko County gold mine because they didn’t ensure his workplace was free of dangerous clutter and allowed him to work alone, according to federal mine safety regulators.

A U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration report published Monday said Klondex Midas Operations would be cited. Agency spokeswoman Amy Louviere said Wednesday that the penalty amount hadn’t yet been decided.

Fifty-three-year-old Richard C. Otto suffocated April 28 when his clothes got caught in a drill at the Midas Mine about 90 miles northwest of Elko.

Inspectors said rocks and equipment strewn about didn’t allow Otto to get a secure footing to prevent the drill from slipping.

Klondex officials contested the report’s conclusions and added that Otto was organized and safety-conscious.