A tragic incident unfolded at the Indicator Lane mine in Mount Clear, Ballarat, Victoria, resulting in the death of a 37-year-old miner and the critical injury of a 21-year-old colleague. The accident occurred when the two miners were trapped by a rockfall while approximately 30 individuals were underground. Emergency services successfully extracted one of the miners, who was subsequently airlifted to Alfred hospital in Melbourne in critical condition. In the process, 25 other workers, stranded underground in a safety pod, were brought to the surface.

The incident at the Ballarat Gold Mine, owned by Victory Minerals, is now under investigation by WorkSafe, with Victoria police contributing to a report for the coroner to ascertain the precise circumstances of the event. The Australian Workers Union Victorian branch has acknowledged the fatality, indicating a shift from rescue to recovery efforts.

Victoria’s Premier, Jacinta Allan, the mayor of Ballarat, Des Hudson, and local authorities have expressed their sympathies to the families and communities affected by this tragedy, emphasizing the historical significance and dangers associated with mining work in the region, which dates back to the 1850s.