Two injured, 25 trapped in mine collapse
Two people have been pinned by fallen rocks and another 25 workers have taken refuge in a safety pod after a gold mine collapse.
It happened at Mount Clear in Victoria, near an area where search crews have been looking for missing Ballarat mum Samantha Murphy.
Victoria Police, Ambulance Victoria and Country Fire Authority’s Oscar 1 Mine Rescue Team were called to the site Woolshed Gully Drive about 4.50pm after reports of a rockfall.
One person has been freed so far.
He was treated for lower body injuries and flown to The Alfred in a serious condition.
Emergency crews are still working to free the second person.
Work is also underway to bring the other miners to the surface.
“The incident occurred approximately 3km underground from the mine entry,” police said.
“WorkSafe have been notified and will be attending to investigate the incident.”
Indicator Lane is home to Ballarat Gold Mine, though the surrounding bushland is littered with unused mine shafts.
In recent weeks, the area has been overrun with large search crews trying to locate the remains of Ms Murphy, who disappeared from her home in Ballarat East about 7am on February 4.
Mobile phone data suggests the mother arrived in the Mount Clear area by about 8am, and police have alleged she was killed in the area on the same day by local man Patrick Orren Stephenson, 22.
Her body is yet to be recovered.
WorkSafe inspectors are also at the scene.
“WorkSafe has been notified of an incident at the underground mine in Mount Clear near Ballarat, and inspectors and a technical specialist are responding,” a spokeswoman said.
Ballarat Gold Mine declined to comment when contacted by NCA NewsWire.
Since Ms Murphy’s disappearance, extensive searches of bushland in the Mount Clear area by emergency services and police have been conducted.
Organisers of the volunteer searches have often warned the area is filled with unused mine shafts, some of which have not been capped.
