BHP Billiton under investigation

BHP Billiton Ltd (ASX:BHP) is under investigation according to the Australian Financial Review.

According to the report, Queensland mine safety inspectors are investigating after 24 workers were hospitalised following two incidents at the miner’s Central Queensland coalmines last weekend.

Investigators looking into Sunday’s incident suspect poisonous nitrogen oxide fumes affected the workers, the media report says. Workers were taken to hospital and later discharged.

It is reported that a BHP spokesperson said no-one was harmed in the incident and the mine had complied with the industry-standard 1km exclusion zone where blasts occur.

BHP reported a net profit of $10.5 billion for the half year ended December 31, 2010.(Finance)