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Two killed at Tasmanian copper mine Two killed at Tasmanian copper mine
(about 1 hour later)
Two workers have died after falling down a mine shaft in Tasmania. Two workers have died after falling more than 20 metres down a mine shaft in Tasmania.
The two Queenstown men, aged 25 and 45, died from their injuries after a fall at the Mount Lyell copper mine in the state's west on Monday morning. The two Queenstown men, aged 25 and 45, fell while conducting maintenance work on the Mount Lyell copper mine shaft in the state's west on Monday morning.
Police say both men, who were employees of Copper Mines of Tasmania, were pronounced dead at the scene. Inspector Matthew Richman said the men fell between 20 and 35 metres.
Copper Mines of Tasmania’s general manager, Scot Clyde, said all operations at the mine had been suspended until Tuesday. One of the men was brought to the surface but died on his way to hospital, while the other died at the scene, police say. His body remained in the mine late Monday afternoon.
"Our deepest sympathies are with the families of the two workers, their immediate workmates and also our other site employees who will be saddened by this tragic accident," Mr Clyde said. Copper Mines of Tasmania general manager Scot Clyde said all operations at the mine have been suspended until Tuesday.
The names of the two men are yet to be released, but police say their next of kin have been notified. "Our deepest sympathies are with the families of the two workers, their immediate work mates and also our other site employees who will be saddened by this tragic accident," Clyde said in a statement.
One of the men's bodies was taken to Queenstown's West Coast district hospital, but the other remains at the scene. Richman said the incident would be a blow to Queenstown, a remote mining town with a population of around 2,000 people.
The deaths are being investigated by police, the coroner and Workplace Standards. The town last year commemorated the 100th anniversary of the North Mount Lyell mine fire, in which 42 workers died.
Copper Mines of Tasmania is a subsidiary of the Indian company Vedanta. "It still has resonance and this will have resonance," Richmond told AAP.
He said it was not yet clear what caused the fall.
"The coroner, Workplace Standards and police investigators are underground at the moment examining what happened," he said.
The names of the two men were yet to be released, but Richman said their families had been notified.
Tasmanian Minerals Council chief executive Terry Long said the incident was the first death in the state's mines since Larry Knight was killed in a rock fall that trapped two other miners in the Beaconsfield gold mine on Anzac Day 2006.
Tasmanian Premier Lara Giddings offered her sympathies via Twitter.
"Condolences to the family, friends and work colleagues of the two men who died today in the Mt Lyell Mine in Queenstown. Such a tragedy," she said.
Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union state secretary John Short said it was a devastating day for the workers' families and the community.
"This is a close-knit community, and this is truly devastating news," he said in a statement.
Copper Mines of Tasmania is a subsidiary of Indian company Vedanta.
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