Workers were forced into an emergency evacuation after a massive explosion sent thick, black smoke billowing from an underground coal mine.
The explosion was reported at the Grosvenor mine in the Bowen Basin area of central eastern Queensland, near the town of Moranbah, on Saturday morning.
An anonymous source told the mail that the explosion occurred at the rear end of the ‘long board’ where coal is mined and black smoke was seen coming from the fans.
The mine’s operator, Anglo American, insisted the evacuation had been “orderly” and there were no reports of injuries.
“While the magnitude of the incident is still evolving, the safety of all personnel is confirmed,” it said in a statement.
‘Implementation controls are active and in place, including nitrogen usage and monitoring through our extensive real-time system.’
Sources told the publication that The fire continued to grow and carbon monoxide had been detected near the mine at a level in excess of 600 parts per million.
The mine has a troubled recent history.
The Grosvenor mine in the Bowen Basin area of central eastern Queensland had to be evacuated after a fire and explosion.
Five workers suffered serious burns in a gas explosion in May 2020 at the Grosvenor mine.
An investigation into the incident found that the explosion was caused because production exceeded the project’s gas drainage capacity.
Following Saturday’s incident, Anglo American said the “sole focus” is on people’s safety.
“To ensure the safety of our people, we have invested significantly in real-time gas monitoring and remote operation technologies at our underground operations to enable early detection and timely implementation of action and response plans,” the spokesperson said.
The company said Saturday’s evacuation was carried out in accordance with the company’s action and response plan.
“A specific team has been created to respond to the incident,” the spokesperson said.
The mine operator also said Resources Safety and Health Queensland was immediately notified of the incident and its inspectors were on site.
There were reports of an explosion at the mine along with black smoke billowing from the fans.
“Resources Safety and Health Queensland was notified of a methane ignition at the Grosvenor coal mine early this morning,” a spokesperson said.
“We understand that all workers have been removed from the underground and accounted for, with no injuries reported.”
Representatives from the Mining and Energy Union will also carry out their own investigation into the incident.
“We are very relieved that the workers are safe and there are no injuries or fatalities,” said Queensland branch president Mitch Hughes.
“Of course it is very worrying that this event has occurred.”