26 workers rescued after Australian gold mine collapses

By Anadolu staff

ANKARA(AA) - Some 26 workers were rescued hours after a gold mine collapsed in Australia’s Victoria state on Wednesday, local media reported.

Rescuers are working to free one miner who remains trapped in the Ballarat Gold Mine after a rockfall, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported.

Earlier, some 27 workers were trapped after a rockfall at the mine on Wednesday afternoon.

Authorities said that 26 of the workers were rescued on Wednesday evening, with one of those workers, who was pinned by falling rocks, taken to hospital in serious condition.

The incident occurred around 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) into the mine located on the edge of suburban Mount Clear with tunnels and shafts stretching below houses.

According to the Victoria Police, two workers were pinned by the falling rocks, whereas another 25 workers were able to move to a safety point, and being assessed by paramedics.