• Miner has died after becoming trapped underground
  • Up to 30 workers were impacted by rockfall in Ballarat 

By Olivia Day For Daily Mail Australia

Published: 20:39 GMT, 13 March 2024 | Updated: 21:03 GMT, 13 March 2024

A miner has died after he was pinned underground during a rockfall at the Ballarat Gold Mine at Mount Clear, near Ballarat. 

It follows a desperate rescue mission to retrieve 27 miners who became trapped about 3km inside the mine on Woolshed Gully Drive at 4.50pm on Wednesday. 

Two of the rescued miners were injured, one with life-threatening injuries. 

The 21-year-old man was pulled from the mine at about 8.30pm and rushed to hospital with life-threatening injuries to his lower body. 

He remains in The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne in a critical condition.

Victoria Police said rescue teams had travelled 500m underground to reach the trapped miners, about 3km into the Ballarat Gold Mine. 

Acting Inspector Lisa Macdougall said 25 of the miners had made it to a safety pod within the network where they could be retrieved. 

‘There’s no concern at this time about oxygen levels,’ she said on Wednesday. 

More than 30 emergency service workers were deployed to the mine overnight with specialist mine extraction teams working to save the trapped man. 

It was reported the miner had died just before 8am on Thursday. 

Victory Minerals operates the Ballarat Gold Mine, which is not open to public and is made up of tunnels and shafts that stretch underneath Mount Clear.  

More to come.

A miner has died after he was pinned underground during a rockfall at the Ballarat Gold Mine at Mount Clear, near Ballarat (pictured, emergency services at the scene)

A miner has died after he was pinned underground during a rockfall at the Ballarat Gold Mine at Mount Clear, near Ballarat (pictured, emergency services at the scene)

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Tragedy as miner dies after he was pinned underground at Ballarat Gold Mine

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