2 dead in Australia after mine explosion

By Saadet Gokce

ISTANBUL (AA) - Two people were killed in an explosion early Tuesday at an underground mine in Australia.

Emergency services arrived at the mine in far western New South Wales around 3.45 am local time (1645 GMT Monday) following reports of a workplace incident, according to 9News.

Local police said a man was confirmed dead upon their arrival.

One of two women brought to the surface has also died, while the other was airlifted to a hospital.

The victims are yet to be formally identified.

The New South Wales Mineworkers Alliance said the union "will leave no stone unturned in identifying what has occurred."

New South Wales Premier Chris Minns offered his condolences "to the family, friends and colleagues of the workers" who lost their lives.

"While safety protocols and procedures have greatly improved in mining, these deaths are a sobering reminder of why we need to always remain vigilant to protect workers," he said.

The Endeavor mine where the accident occurred is a silver, zinc and lead mine that was active from 1982 to 2020. It was acquired by Polymetals Resources in 2023 and planned to restart production later this year.

Polymetals announced a pause in trading to the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) Tuesday morning following the explosion.