Cobar mine explosion; Two people dead in western NSW
Polymetals announced a trading halt on the ASX on Tuesday morning, which is expected to last until Thursday.
In a letter demanding the ASX grant permission for the pause, Polymetals Company Secretary John Haley said the company would use the period during which trading was halted to prepare an announcement detailing the circumstances leading up to the explosion and the consequences for shareholders.
Two people died in an explosion at the Endeavor Mine in Cobar, NSW (file photo).Credit: CBH Resources
Polymetals Chief Executive Dave Sproule said they were “shocked and saddened by the tragic event” and promised to “support all of our people, family and friends as we navigate this difficult time.”
Bob Timbs, president of the South West Region of the Mining and Energy Association of NSW, claimed the incident was caused by “a catastrophic failure of a safety system” which “should not have happened”.
“After engaging and supporting families and mine workers in the community, we will do everything in our power to find out what happened and make sure it never happens again,” Timbs said.
“There are two mine workers who did not return home today, and we have loved ones out there who will suffer this loss.”
Mining operations at the Endeavor site, which like most major Australian mines operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, have been temporarily suspended.
NSW Mineworkers Alliance spokesman Tony Callinan said it would “send shockwaves” through the industry.
“We will leave no stone unturned to determine what happened here,” Callinan said.
“This is a tragic reminder that underground mining is a dangerous business.”
NSW Natural Resources Minister Courtney Houssos said it was a “heartbreaking day” for the Cobar community as it began to come to terms with the “tragic” effects of the explosion.
“Everyone who goes to work has the right to return home,” Houssos said.
“While safety protocols and procedures have greatly improved in mining, these deaths are a sobering reminder of why we must always remain vigilant to protect workers.”
NSW Minerals Council chief executive Stephen Galilee said tens of thousands of miners would suffer the loss of two killed in this “tragedy”, highlighting the “dangers faced” in the industry.
The NSW Resource Regulator, the independent regulatory authority for safe and responsible mining, confirmed it was investigating the incident and emergency services remained at the scene.
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