A man has been killed and another critically injured following a gold mine collapse in Australia. The incident occurred at a site in Ballarat, near Melbourne, where the pair were hit by falling rocks 500 meters underground yesterday (13) afternoon local time.
Rescue efforts were undertaken, with 29 miners taking refuge in a nearby “safety pod.” The injured man, aged 21, was evacuated almost four hours later and remains hospitalized with lower body injuries.
The body of a 37-year-old man was recovered at the scene early today (14) morning, approximately 3 kilometers from the mine’s entrance.
The incident will be investigated by workplace regulators, with sharp criticism from trade unions over safety concerns associated with the manual extraction technique known as “air legging.”
The mine’s owner, Victory Minerals, expressed sadness over the loss of one of its employees but declined further comment when approached by the BBC.
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allen extended condolences to the affected workers and families and cautioned against premature speculation regarding the cause of the collapse.
-BBC-
