"Two miners found dead after ground collapses beneath them ", 16 February 2023

Two Australian miners working deep underground were fatally injured when they fell about 15 meters (50 feet) into a void that had opened beneath them, according to a statement Thursday from mining group Perenti.

The miners – named as Trevor Davis and Dylan Langridge – were working about 125 meters (407 feet) below ground in the Dugald River mine near Cloncurry … when the ground gave way.

The hole also swallowed their utility vehicle, a drill rig and the drill rig operator, though that worker was rescued Wednesday with only minor injuries.

The incident prompted an urgent rescue operation that stretched through the night as rescue teams tried to locate the vehicle and cut through rock and earth to reach it.

Perenti managing director and CEO Mark Norwell expressed his condolences to the men’s families on Thursday and said the outcome of the tireless search was “simply not acceptable

…, rescue teams began trying to reach them from below – the zinc mine has multiple levels, which they hoped would give them better access to the right location.

Before the men were confirmed dead, Cloncurry Mayor Greg Campbell said the incident had come as a shock to residents in the mining hub, which is home to around 3,600 people. Many in the town work in the mines, or know someone who does…

The missing miners were employed by Barminco, a subsidiary of Perenti, and they were working within the mine operated by mining firm MMG, which employs around 500 people at the site.

In a statement …, MMG said the miners were reported missing at 8:55 a.m. local time on Wednesday and operations at the Dugald River site had since been suspended…