Missing miners identified as their vehicle is found 125m underground
The men were driving on the Queensland mine site when their vehicle plunged into a 25 metre void and fell further when the ground gave way.
Two men missing from a zinc mine in northern Queensland have been identified as Dylan Langridge and Trevor Davis.
The miners were underground at the Dugald River mine site 70km northwest of Cloncurry when their vehicle fell into a 25-metre-deep void, known as a stope, on Wednesday.
It's believed a drilling rig and the vehicle fell when the ground beneath it gave way, pushing them 125 metres underground. Rescue workers found the vehicle on Thursday morning using drones, but the men — contracted by Barminco — still have not been found, the mine's general manager Tim Akroyd said.
"Rescue efforts have commenced and are continuing at this time. As you can appreciate our priority is ensuring the safety of conditions underground," he told reporters on Thursday.
"Our approach today is to continue to safely remove material from around the vehicle so we can safely extract it."
Rescue operation underway
Barminco owner Perenti on Thursday said rescue teams were also using heavy underground mining equipment to access the location. Perenti managing director Mark Norwell said the rescue operation would be executed as quickly and safely as possible.
"While the situation is still evolving, we are in contact with the family members of our missing team members and Perenti is providing support to their colleagues and rescue team," he said.
Federal Resources Minister Madeline King said she was hoping for the best outcome for the two missing contractors.
"My thoughts are with the families and with co-workers," she tweeted on Thursday.
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MMG, which owns the mine, suspended work at the mine, which employs about 500 people, after the incident.
Inspectors from Resources Safety Queensland have been at the site assisting emergency responders.
Local state MP Robbie Katter on Wednesday said the event was "obviously the worst nightmare" for a mining community and there was a lot of anxiety about the situation.
"We know emergency services are on the ground and we are praying for a good outcome," he said.
with AAP
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