Ute found in search for two missing miners who plunged into a void in north-west Queensland | Queensland

A mining company says it is still hopeful for a “positive” outcome in the search for two missing miners after it found their utility vehicle, which plunged into a hole in an underground mine in north-west Queensland.

But it has deep concerns for the two men, who have not yet been seen or heard from.

The miners went missing in the remote Dugald River zinc mine, near Cloncurry, on Wednesday 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.

The men were employed by the mining company Barminco. Its parent company, ASX-listed Perenti, said a search and rescue team had worked throughout the night to gain access to the 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,” said Perenti’s managing director, Mark Norwell.

He said the highly skilled mine rescue team were now focused on executing the rescue operation 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,” Norwell said.

“Everyone at Perenti is feeling the impact of this incident and whilst we hold deep concerns for the safety of our colleagues, we continue to be hopeful that a positive outcome can be achieved.”

Work has been suspended at the mine, which employs about 500 people. Inspectors from Resources Safety Queensland have also been on site helping emergency responders.

Queensland resources and mines minister Scott Stewart shared a message on social media saying his concern was the welfare of the workers.

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.