A rockfall at the Ballarat gold mine, west of Melbourne, Australia, yesterday claimed the life of one miner and left another in critical condition. According to ABC News, 30 miners were working 3 km from the portal when a rockfall occurred at 4:50 p.m. local time, on March 13, 2024.
Most of the miners (28) sought safety in a rescue chamber, however, two were less fortunate. One was extracted by a mine rescue team and flown to a local hospital with injuries to his lower body. The body of the other miner was recovered at 5:20 a.m. March 14.
The miners were reportedly using jackleg drills to chase a gold vein when the collapse occurred. All mining has been suspended while authorities investigate the incident. A similar incident occurred at the mine in 2007 without fatalities.
