Rio Tinto Chief Jean-Sebastian Jacques will abandon the destruction of the Aboriginal cave

Rin Tinto’s boss, Jean-Sebastian Jacques, will step down following criticism of the destruction of a large mining company at the sacred Aboriginal sites.

In May, the world’s largest iron ore miner destroyed two ancient caves in Pilbara, Western Australia.

Despite opposition from Aboriginal traditional owners, the company continued to blow up Jukan Gorge Rock Shelters.

It has sparked widespread condemnation by shareholders and the public.

On Friday, the company said in a statement that “significant stakeholders have expressed concern about executive liability for identifying failures.”

The board said Mr Jacques will remain chief executive until March, or until a successor is appointed.

Other senior executives, including the head of the miners’ iron ore and corporate relations department, will also leave the company at the end of the year.

The caves, seen as one of Australia’s most notable archaeological sites, show evidence of continuous human habitation over 46,000 years.

They sat on about eight million tons of high-grade iron ore, estimated to cost m 75m (A $ 132m; m 96m).

Australia The Parliament of Australia is currently investigating the actions of these miners.

Rio Tinto also conducted its own investigation earlier this year, after which the company cut bonuses for the director and began efforts to improve relations with Aboriginal communities.

“What happened in Juuken was wrong and we are committed to ensuring that such an extraordinary archaeological and cultural heritage site is not destroyed again in the Rio Tinto operation,” said Chairman Simon Thompson.

Items found in the caves include a 28,000-year-old animal bone tool and a 4,000-year-old belt made of plated human hair. DNA The test linked him directly to the Putu Kunti Kurma and Pinikura (PKKP) people – the traditional owners of the land.

After the caves were destroyed, PKKP representative John Ashbert said losing the place was a “devastating blow”.

He said, “Australia has a handful of well-known aboriginal sites that are as old as this … its importance cannot be underestimated.”

Last week it came out that Rio Tinto had appointed lawyers in the days of the cave destruction in May, if protesters tried to take orders to stop them.

Although the company said it had permission to work under the Tribal Heritage Act, critics said it indicated the miner was aware of the site’s cultural significance.