The two men trapped 125 metres underground at a north-west Queensland mine have been found dead.
Dylan Langridge and Trevor Davis went missing on Wednesday in the remote Dugald River zinc mine near Cloncurry after their ute fell into a stope, a large void that contains the ore being mined, and became trapped at a depth of about 125 metres underground.
A separate vehicle, a drill rig, also fell into the stope but its operator was rescued and received medical treatment for minor injuries.
Queensland resources minister, Scott Stewart, said on Thursday night he expected a thorough investigation into the deaths.
“The loss of a life in any workplace at any time is not acceptable,” he said. “Families should be able to expect that when their loved ones depart for work that they return safely.
“Investigators from Resources Safety and Health Queensland are already on site.”
The men were employed by the mining company Barminco. Its parent company, ASX-listed Perenti, announced the news on Thursday evening.
Perenti’s managing director, Mark Norwell, said it was a “devastating outcome”.
“I want to extend my deepest sympathies and condolences to the families, friends, colleagues and loved ones of Trevor and Dylan, both of whom should have come home safely from work yesterday,” he said.
“Our immediate and ongoing focus is on providing support to the families, friends and colleagues of Trevor and Dylan.”
Langridge was 33 and joined the company as a truck operator in 2021 before taking up the role as operator at Dugald River in 2021.
Davis was 36 and joined Barminco in 2020 as a shotcrete operator at Rosemont before transferring to Dugald River in November 2021.
Barminco has been operating at Dugald River mine since early 2012. Norwell said the deaths would have a lasting impact on the community and entire Perenti workforce.
“The safety of our employees is an absolute priority for Perenti, as it is for the industry more broadly,” he said. “I am devastated that the families and friends of our two workmates have lost their loved ones. This outcome is simply not acceptable.
“In collaboration with MMG and the relevant authorities in Queensland, we will work to understand the circumstances behind this tragic incident and what additional measures need to be put in place to prevent this type of incident happening again.”
Initially Perenti was hopeful for a “positive” outcome after the search and rescue team found the miners’ missing ute.
“The rescue team have employed the use of drones, void scanning technology and video imagery and this has enabled them to locate the light vehicle that we believe the two missing employees were driving,” Norwell said.
The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, said during a lunchtime press conference: “Our hearts go out to the families and the workers and the community of Cloncurry in north-west Queensland …
“I know that this will be a really difficult time and I know that that is a really wonderful town, really terrific part of Australia, a really wonderful community.”
Work has been suspended at the mine, which employs about 500 people.
Last week the state’s independent regulator issued compliance directives to mine operators after serious incidents at central Queensland coalmines involving mobile equipment operating on coal stockpiles.
“The directives follow three recently reported incidents in Queensland where mobile equipment being operated by workers have sunk into voids that have developed in stockpiles,” Stewart said last Tuesday.
The Department of Natural resources, Mines and Energy had previously commissioned a review into all fatal accidents in Queensland mines and quarries from 2000 to 2019, which was released in December 2019.
The report, prepared by Sean Brady, found that the industry needed to recognise it had a “fatality cycle” and that unless it made significant changes to its operation, the rate of fatalities were likely to continue.
“The industry goes through periods of increasing and decreasing vigilance,” Brady wrote. “Past behaviour suggests that in the order of 12 fatalities are likely to occur over any 5 year period.”
The report said 17 fatalities involved no human error on the part of the deceased.
