Explosive fire and black smoke seen at the Grosvenor mine in Queensland’s Bowen Basin before the emergency evacuation of workers

Workers were forced to evacuate after a massive explosion sent thick, black smoke billowing from an underground coal mine.

The explosion was reported on Saturday morning at the Grosvenor mine in the Bowen Basin area of ​​east central Queensland, near the town of Moranbah.

An anonymous source told the Courier post that the explosion occurred at the tailgate end of the ‘long wall’, where coal is mined, and that black smoke came from the fans.

Mine operator Anglo American insisted the evacuation had been “orderly” and there had been no reports of injuries.

“While the extent of the incident is still unclear, all staff are understood to be safe,” the statement said.

“Active implementation measures are in place, including the use of nitrogen and monitoring through our comprehensive real-time system.”

Sources told the publication the Fire was still ongoing and carbon monoxide had been detected near the mine at an excess of 600 parts per million.

The mine has had a turbulent recent history.

The Grosvenor mine in the Bowen Basin area of ​​central eastern Queensland had to be evacuated after a fire and explosion

Five workers suffered serious burns in a gas explosion at the Grosvenor mine in May 2020.

Investigation into the incident revealed that the explosion was caused by production exceeding the project’s gas discharge capacity.

After Saturday’s incident, Anglo American said its “sole focus” is people’s safety.

“To ensure the safety of our people, we have invested significantly in remote control, gas and real-time monitoring technologies at our underground operations, enabling us to detect gas early and implement action plans in a timely manner,” the spokesperson said.

The company said Saturday’s evacuation was carried out in accordance with the company’s action plan.

“A special team has been set up to respond to the incident,” the spokesperson said.

The mine operator also said Resources Safety and Health Queensland was immediately notified of the incident and its inspectors were on site.

There were reports of an explosion at the mine, with black smoke coming from the fans

“Resources Safety and Health Queensland was notified early this morning of a methane ignition at the Grosvenor Coal Mine,” a spokesperson said.

“We understand that all workers have been removed from the underground area and found safe. No injuries have been reported.”

Representatives of the mining and energy unions will also conduct their own investigation into the incident.

“We are extremely relieved that workers are safe and that there have been no injuries or fatalities,” Queensland chapter chairman Mitch Hughes said.

“It is of course very disturbing that this event has taken place.”