Major rescue underway after workers trapped in Curragh Mine collapse
A major rescue effort is underway after a coal mine collapsed in central Queensland and at least one person is reported missing.
The collapse is understood to have occurred at the Curragh Mine in Blackwater just before 3pm on Friday afternoon.
The ABC reported that one man was not identified, while another was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
According to Nine News, the incident occurred approximately 1 kilometer underground.
A Queensland Fire Department spokesman said they responded to reports of a person needing rescue in a confined space on Blackwater Cooroorah Rd, the Courier-Mail reported.
The call came just after 3pm local time.
A Queensland Ambulance Service spokesman said paramedics were at the scene.
The mine is located approximately 14 km north of Blackwater in the Bowen Basin in Central Queensland, one of the world’s largest coal basins and Australia’s largest source of metallurgical coal.
The mine is operated by Coronado.
The company’s website states that Curragh has been in business since 1983 and was acquired by Coronado in 2018.
Two open-pit mines – Curragh South and Curragh North – are currently active.
More to come
