Coalfields show comradeship, respect after tragedy

Miners on some coal operations in the Bowen Basin late this week stopped for a minute’s silence in respect for two Barminco employees who died in an underground accident at the Dugald River operation in North-West Queensland. The Mining and Energy Union was also fielding enquiries from members and others with offers of support for the families, Queensland District President Steve Smyth said. It’s part of an outpouring of emotion among miners on the coalfields for 33-year-old Dylan Langridge from Bundaberg South and Trevor Davis, 36, from Pimpama east of Brisbane. The pair were in a light vehicle that plunged into a 15-metre void, 125m underground, at the mine located 65km north-west of Cloncurry on Wednesday morning. Rescue workers found the bodies at around five on Thursday afternoon. Related: Moura commemorates coalfields disaster Grief across the mining industry in the face of the death of two miners was heartfelt, Mr Smyth said. “Loss, a death to a miner is just unbelievably sad,” Mr Smyth said. “The workers themselves and the communities and right across the Bowen Basin, it's been felt, because it was a comradeship of miners, no matter whether you're mining hard rock or coal. “I've got a lot of feedback, also people talking about whether they can support the families. “So, there's certainly, I'll call it the comradeship and a brotherhood there. But when something as tragic as this occurs, everyone locks in behind those people, family and friends.” The worst single mining disaster was at Mount Mulligan in north Queensland. In 1921, 75 miners died in an explosion in what was the state’s northern-most coal mine. Related: Support for centenary commemorations of Mount Mulligan mine collapse Every mine death was a loss to the whole community, Mr Smyth said. “What the trend has been over recent years is a lot of people come out and paying their respect and honour those who who've fallen or been lost in mining disasters of the past, right across the mining communities. “Particularly Queensland, particularly places like Moura, Moranbah, Ipswich and the Mount Mulligan, which was the worst disaster. People come out in masses to honour and pay that respect and generations do it as well. “It's certainly something that hasn't been lost and from our perspective, it's something that needs to continue well into the future. Because we need to pay our respect to these people who've laid the foundations for what we have in the state of Queensland. “Through the economic gains, the powerhouse we are and everything that we have today at the tip of our fingertips, we can thank miners across all the commodities in Queensland.” Mining and Energy Union Queensland District President Steve Smyth. The Mining and Energy Union has reached out to the default union in the hard rock industry the Australian Workers Union (AWU) to offer help. “We stand with you (the AWU) in solidarity,” Mr Smyth said. “We have reached out to the union in the hardrock sector, the AWU, we've offered our support, any assistance we can give. A lot of our members that we have now worked in both sectors and they have friends, relatives and others that continue to work in that sector. “Certainly, whilst we are separate in the way we may go about mining, there's one thing that's certain is the understanding of the hazards and the dangers that all miners face.” He paid respect to the miners’ families on behalf of his industry. “Just want to pay my condolences and respects to the family and friends of the lost miners and their friends," he said. “And certainly, as I said, we reach out, we offer our hand of friendship and support for those miners, because every worker has the right to go to work and return home safety to their families no matter what industry they're in, what sector they're in. “It's something that we owe these miners and particularly the government and the regulator and these companies owe their workers safe places of work and the capacity to return home the same way they attended. “I'm aware of some mines the workers paying their respect with silence at the commencement of their shift. “It certainly plays on their mind and it just brings back sometimes for some of these workers at particular mines, their own experiences and what's happened in their own backyard." IMAGE at top of page: Lamps at the Moranbah Miners’ Memorial in Central Queensland.

Coalfields show comradeship, respect after tragedy

Industry Queensland

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