SANTIAGO - Chilean state-owned mining company Codelco said that a worker died in an accident on Friday afternoon at Radomiro Tomic copper mine in the country's north.

Activities were suspended at the area of the mine where the accident occurred, the company said in a statement.

The worker, a 30-year-old woman, was operating an extraction truck when the accident occurred, Codelco said.

In 2020, a 33-year-old operator who worked an extraction truck was also killed in an accident at Radomiro Tomic.

Chile is the world's largest copper producer.

As demand for the red metal grows globally, Codelco is struggling to address falling output, maintenance woes and safety issues.

In June 2023, an electrical accident at Codelco's El Teniente mine in central Chile left one worker dead, while in July 2022, two workers died in separate accidents at Codelco's Chuqui Subterranea and Rajo Inca projects. REUTERS