Worker dead after Ballarat gold mine collapse

A man has died after he and another worker were pinned by fallen rocks in a mine collapse at Ballarat in Victoria yesterday. The body of the 37-year-old Bruthen man was recovered this morning, Victoria Police said. Emergency services were called to the Victory Minerals-owned gold mine on Woolshed Gully Drive, Mount Clear, about 4.50pm after reports of a rockfall about 3km from the mine entry. Two people were pinned by fallen rocks, while 28 colleagues were able to take refuge in a safety pod. Paramedics worked with mine rescue staff to stabilise one person prior to extrication. The 21-year-old Ballarat man was treated for lower body injuries and airlifted to hospital in a serious condition. Police said the 28 miners who took refuge were safely brought to the surface and assessed by Ambulance Victoria. WorkSafe will investigate the incident, while police will prepare a report for the coroner. The underground mining operations lie deep beneath the city of Ballarat. The Ballarat gold mine has struggled in recent years, according to an ABC News report. The previous company operating the mine fell into administration one year ago, leading to a lengthy process as administrators prepared to sell assets. At the time, the Australian Workers Union raised concerns about worker safety, saying it had been "compromised" under the previous ownership, ABC News reported. AWU Victorian branch secretary Ronnie Hayden told Channel Seven’s Sunrise program this morning that the two men pinned by fallen rocks had been performing a form of mining called air legging. “We do know that the two workers were air legging, which is a type of manual mining, it appears under unsupported ground and there was a collapse,” he said. Victory Minerals took operational control of the Ballarat mine in December, according to The Age. In a statement released yesterday (March 13) the company said; "We bring significant experience and expertise to the mine. We are a safety-first mine operator and respect the work that underground miners perform every day.” Update: Kurt Hourigan has been identified as the man who died after he and a co-worker were pinned beneath fallen rocks at Victory Minerals' Ballarat gold mine on Wednesday. Meanwhile AWU Victorian Secretary Ronnie Hayden said WorkSafe mustn’t be afraid to use Victoria’s new workplace manslaughter laws. “Absolutely we need to give miners and their families in Ballarat time to grieve, but we also need to see timely justice, WorkSafe needs to investigate this and bring charges against the individuals responsible,” Mr Hayden said. Below: The Victory Minerals website includes this virtual tour of the Ballarat gold mine. https://www.youtube.com/watch?vSSfmlMPMiOs

Worker dead after Ballarat gold mine collapse

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