PERTH (miningweekly.com) – The bodies of two workers at the Dugald River zinc mine, in Queensland, have been recovered.

The two workers were unaccounted for following an incident at the MMG mine on Wednesday.

Perenti in a statement on Thursday said that miners Trevor Davis and Dylan Langridge had been fatally injured some 125 m below ground, when the light vehicle they were travelling in fell some 15 m into a void within a previously backfilled stope. A drill rig and its operator also fell, but the drill rig operator was rescued and received medical treatment for minor injuries.

“This is a devastating outcome and I want to extend my deepest sympathies and condolences to the families, friends, colleagues and loved ones of Davis and Langridge, both of whom should have come home safely from work yesterday,” Perenti MD and CEO Mark Norwell said.

Langridge was 33 years old and joined Barminco in March 2020 as a truck operator at Savannah before joining the service crew at Dugald River later that year. He continued to progress his career at Dugald River and in October 2021 took up the role of charge-up operator.

Davis was 36 years old and joined Barminco in August 2020 as a shotcrete operator at Rosemont, before transferring to Dugald River as a charge-up operator in November 2021.

“Barminco has been operating at MMG’s Dugald River mine since early 2012 with members of our workforce residing in the local area. This tragic incident is devastating and will have a lasting impact on not only the families and friends of Davis and Langridge but also on the workforce of Dugald River, the Cloncurry and Mount Isa communities and the entire Perenti workforce,” said Norwell.

“The safety of our employees is an absolute priority for Perenti, as it is for the industry more broadly. I am devastated that the families and friends of our two workmates have lost their loved ones. This outcome is simply not acceptable.

“In collaboration with MMG and the relevant authorities in Queensland, we will work to understand the circumstances behind this tragic incident and what additional measures need to be put in place to prevent this type of incident happening again.

"The rescue operation has now sadly completed. Our primary focus is that of support for the families and colleagues of Davis and Langridge and in parallel completing a comprehensive investigation.”

Queensland Resources Minister Scott Stewart said on Thursday that he expected a "thorough investigation" into how the incident happened.

"My thoughts and prayers are with the family, friends and colleagues of Davis and Langridge who have passed away. This is an absolute tragedy. It should never have happened.

"The loss of a life in any workplace at any time is not acceptable. Families should be able to expect that when their loved ones depart for work they return safely," the Minister added.

The Queensland Resources Council (QRC) has expressed its condolences to the families of Langridge and Davis, with CEO Ian Macfarlane saying it was a very sad day for all involved including family, friends, workmates, the emergency response team and the local community.

“A tragedy like this affects a wide circle of people, but at the heart of it are two families who are dealing with a tremendous loss. Our hearts go out to them.”