A rockfall at the Ballarat gold mine, west of Melbourne, Australia, 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.
