A West Coast gold mining company has been left devastated after trespassers damaged its heavy machinery and stole some tools, NZ Herald reports.
The manager of the mining company, who requested for the business to remain anonymous, recalled that the gate’s lock had already been cut and “all the gear was smashed up” when he arrived at the site on Tuesday afternoon.
He explained that the keys to the vehicles were kept at an on-site office but were stolen when the offender/s smashed through the window.
“They then jumped in a digger and used it to smash the other vehicles. There were three big trucks - 20-tonne trucks - a fuel tanker, a loader, and two or three diggers smashed,” he told NZ Herald.
He added that the trespasser/s also stole a digger battery and a few tools.
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The manager believes insurance will have a key role to play as he estimated the cost of the damages, which might be around $500,000 to $700,000.
“To replace them will probably cost over $1 million, but it depends on the insurance analyser. It’s horrible because we need to mine to get all our costs covered, and I am not sure if insurance will cover the lost income,” he said.
Insurance investigators were yet to assess the damages. Meanwhile, the police have already taken fingerprints and have started conducting an investigation.
