Tragedy as miner dies after being trapped underground at Ballarat gold mine

A miner has died after being trapped underground during a rockfall at the Ballarat gold mine, while another man is in a critical condition fighting for life.

The body of the 37-year-old Bruthen man was recovered overnight from the mine on Woolshed Gully Drive in Mount Clear, Victoria Police said on Thursday.

Australian Workers Union Victorian branch secretary Ronnie Hayden broke the news of the miner’s death on Channel Seven’s Sunrise programme.

‘It is no longer salvation. It’s recovery now,” Hayden said.

“We do know that the two workers were engaged in air extraction, which is a form of manual mining. It appears to be under unsupported ground and a collapse has occurred.”

It follows frantic efforts to retrieve 27 miners who were trapped about 500 meters underground at around 4.50pm on Wednesday.

Two of the miners were injured by falling rocks, one with life-threatening injuries.

The 21-year-old man was recovered from the mine around 8:30 p.m. and taken to hospital for treatment with life-threatening injuries to his lower body.

Melbourne’s Alfred Hospital confirmed the man remained in critical condition.

Victoria Police said rescue teams traveled 500 meters underground to reach the trapped miners, about 3 kilometers deep inside the Ballarat gold mine.

Acting Inspector Lisa Macdougall said 25 miners had reached a safety pod within the network, from where they could be picked up.

They were subsequently assessed by Ambulance Victoria, with no reported injuries.

More than thirty emergency workers were sent to the mine overnight as specialist extraction teams worked to rescue the trapped man.

Police said the miner’s family were “extremely saddened and concerned” after being told their loved one had been trapped.

Victory Minerals operates the Ballarat Gold Mine, which is not open to the public and consists of tunnels and shafts extending beneath homes in Mount Clear.

Ballarat Mayor Des Hudson said news of the man’s death was “devastating” and sent his thoughts to his loved ones.

“Our thoughts go out to the family of that miner who never came home from work, but also to the other miner who is currently in Alfred Hospital with very serious injuries and a battle ahead of him,” he told Sunrise.

“And also to the rescuers who will continue to work hard to try to recover that miner’s body and bring him to the surface.”

Cr Hudson said the incident was the latest in a series of tragedies that have rocked the local community in recent works following the death of mother-of-three Samantha Murphy in a national park in Mount Clear.

“We are a resilient community, we care for each other, and we come together to support each other, and I have no doubt that our community will absolutely do the same as this issue at the gold mine is resolved,” he said. .

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allen said on Wednesday she was “thinking of every worker and family affected by the Ballarat mining incident”.

“Tonight is going to be a long night for them and for the entire Ballarat community,” she said.

A convoy of emergency vehicles was rushed to the location on Wednesday afternoon.

Ambulance Victoria and the Country Fire Authority’s Oscar 1 Mine Rescue Team were deployed to the scene to look for ways to retrieve the miners.

“Ambulance Victoria (Mobile Intensive Care) and (Advanced Life Support) paramedics worked with mine rescue personnel to stabilize one person prior to extrication,” a Victoria Police statement said.

“Efforts are underway to free the remaining 25 miners to the surface.”

A spokesperson for WorkSafe told Daily Mail Australia the regulator had been notified of the collapse and “inspectors and a technical specialist are responding”.

Australian Workers’ Union Victoria announced on X that the Secretary of State and two of our union officers are currently on site and working closely with members.

“We are united in our commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of all employees,” the social media post read.

The network of mine shafts that make up the Ballarat Gold Mine has been operational since the 1850s, with some of the original shafts still in use.

A collapse at the site on November 12, 2007 trapped 27 miners about a kilometer underground.

All miners were recovered safely after being hoisted to the surface through a ventilation shaft at around 8am.

On Anzac Day the year before, Tasmanian miners Todd Russell and Brant Webb were trapped in a small cage 925 meters underground for two weeks after a rockfall at the Beaconsfield gold mine, northwest of Launceston.

While Mr. Russell and Mr. Webb triumphantly left the mine, their colleague Larry Knight had been killed in the initial collapse.

They were both able to join mourners at their Lord Knight’s funeral, which had been postponed until their release on May 9.