Brisbane, Australia
CNN
—
An urgent operation is underway to find two Australian miners missing deep underground for more than 24 hours in a zinc mine in northwest Queensland.
The miners disappeared early Wednesday when a void opened beneath them as they worked 125 meters (407 feet) below ground at the Dugald River mine near Cloncurry, according to a statement from mining group Perenti.
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, Perenti said.
It’s unclear how the drill rig operator managed to escape and how much further the two miners fell into the void. It’s also unclear if they were in the vehicle or standing in the vicinity when the ground gave way.
The employees were last believed to be on a stope – a tunnel used in mining to ferry materials to the surface – that had previously been filled in with rocks when the void opened, Perenti said. The old stope is believed to be 25 meters deep, but it’s unclear if the employees fell that far.
Drones fitted with cameras were flown into the hole on Wednesday and teams had used scanning technology and video images to locate the vehicle the employees were believed to have been driving. Rescue teams worked through the night with heavy underground equipment to try to reach the men, Perenti said.
Later Thursday, rescue teams were trying to reach them from below – the zinc mine has multiple levels, which they hoped would give them better access to the right location.
The miners are 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. Perenti has not released the identities of the two missing men.
In a statement Wednesday, 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.
MMG said the mine’s emergency team was working alongside Barminco, emergency services and the Queensland Mines Inspectorate to locate the miners. The Dugald River mine produces zinc concentrate, with byproducts including lead and silver, MMG says on its website.
Dugald River mine general manager Tim Akroyd said rescue teams were trying to reach the vehicle as soon as possible.
“Our thoughts are with the families of our missing Barminco colleagues in what is an incredibly difficult time. We continue to extend our support,” he said in a statement.