A US Mine Safety and Health Administration spokesperson told ILN Friday morning that the worker, who was identified by local media as 27-year-old Jameson Ward, had one foot completely amputated while the other one was severely damaged.
Signal Peak Energy president John DeMichiei reported to a local newspaper that the chain conveyor had become hung up by a piece of metal.
While Ward and his crew were working to clear the obstruction, the chain’s tension released, causing the equipment to move and catch him.
Federal officials confirmed to ILN that the victim traveled to a local medical center by ambulance following the accident.
He was then flown by helicopter to the Billings Clinic, where a hospital spokesperson reported he was in fair condition Friday.
The longwall at Bull Mountain, located near Roundup, was idled under a federal closure order as of Friday afternoon. Neither MSHA nor the operator offered an estimate on when it could resume, though DeMichiei said other activities there were continuing.