AUSTAR mine collapse victim Phillip Grant never said as much outright but from what he did mention about working deep beneath the Hunter Valley coalfields his friends knew he was always “worried”.

“He mentioned a few things. I can’t think of anything specific but I think just being underground worried him,” friend and neighbour Aleisha Eslick said.

“You couldn’t not be worried about it.”

Like so many in Stradbroke Ave, and indeed the rest of Metford on the outer fringe of Maitland, Ms Eslick kept a silent vigil this morning as word of his tragic death rippled through the tight knit community.

“I’ve been out here waiting for him to come home but the lady across the road said it was him,” she said.

“He was such a nice guy, always watching out for people in the street.”

It was the same reaction at the small shops around the corner where a lady working the deep fryer said she drove past his small brick house with its manicured lawns in the hope it was not him.

Ms Eslick said the 35-year-old adored his son Shaun, 7, who would come over and play with her daughter of the same age, Talia Watson.

“He adored him, they were right into BMX and he would take him to the (Maitland BMX) track every Friday night,” she said.

“I think they were preparing to go to Shackleton.”

Separated from the boy’s mother, Mr Grant would have Shaun every weekend.

“Shaun only just went home (to Edgeworth) on Monday,” Ms Eslick said.News_Image_File: Second victim Jamie Mitchell. Picture: Bill Hearne

Originally from Bathurst, Mr Grant’s next door neighbour Ken Thomson said he had been in contact with his parents who were on their way to the mine site.

“They’re devastated,” he said.

Mr Thomson’s wife said Mr Grant “was like a son to me” before she broke down and could not continue.

Mr Thomson said the couple were very fond of Mr Grant and young Shaun who would come over to the elderly couple’s house and visit every weekend.

“I’ve been to his son’s christening,” Mr Thomson said.

Ms Eslick said Mr Grant was also “very big into V8 Supercars” from his days growing up in Bathurst.

The older man killed in the collapse was Jamie Mitchell, 49, from the suburb of Aberdare near Cessnock.

Grave-faced friends arrived this morning to pay their respects to Mr Mitchell’s father, Jim, who lives nearby.

It is understood he too worked in the mines previously.

One friend described Mr Mitchell as “a lovely bloke”, adding that the local mining community was particularly tight-knit and would rally around the family.

“The father and son were best mates,” she said.

Days to recover bodies of miners

TWO miners have died after a wall collapse at an underground coal mine in the NSW Hunter Valley.

The pair were two of eight miners working 500m underground at the Austar Coal Mine in Paxton, about 10km south of Cessnock, when a wall collapsed just after 9pm.

A rescue mission was launched but both men were pronounced dead a short time later.

Police say the men were Phillip Grant, 35, from Metford and Jamie Mitchell, 49, from the suburb of Aberdare near Cessnock.

News_Image_File: Workers are told of the tragedy as they arrive for work this morning. Picture: Bill Hearne

A crime scene has been established and will be examined by specialist forensic officers.

All production at the mine, operated by Yancoal Australia, has been stopped while investigations continue.

Yancoal Australia chief executive officer Reinhold Schmidt issued a statement this morning.

“Our thoughts are with the families, colleagues and friends of the two employees in this tragic incident,” Mr Schmidt said.

News_Image_File: AusStar coal mine in the Hunter Valley.

“The safety and wellbeing of all Austar Coal Mine employees and contractors is of primary concern and we are currently providing on-the-ground support to the families of the two employees and our other employees and contractors.”

Mr Schmidt said Yancoal would continue to work closely with emergency services and the regulator.

POLICE RELEASE NEW DETAILS SURROUNING THE INCIDENT

Central Hunter local area commander Garry O’Dell said the collapse occurred about 500m underground, 10km into the mine.

The two men killed had been on the afternoon shift and were “some hours” into their normal work when tragedy struck.

Superintendent O’Dell predicted it could be “a number of days” before crews could recover the two bodies, due to the amount of collapsed rubble and machinery blocking access.

“Obviously we need to make sure that safety is ensured for all persons,” he said.

“Once the site is inspected and safety is ensured, then recovery can begin.”

Immediate family members had been informed but police were still working to ensure extended family were aware of the tragedy.

News_Image_File: Supt Garry O'Dell addresses the media today. Picture: Peter Lorimer

Supt O’Dell said six other miners working in the vicinity of the collapse were unable to help the two men and were forced to evacuate due to safety concerns.

It took almost three hours for paramedics to get into the mine and declare the two men dead, he said.

“We’re working with the investigation unit from (State Government department) Trade & Investment and other mine investigation teams and mine rescue,” he said.

“It’s going to be a lengthy recover mission to retrieve the bodies of the two men.”

Supt O’Dell said the names of the two men killed in the collapse would be released “at the earliest available opportunity”.

But he warned that finding out the exact cause of the collapse could take a long time.

“I have spoken to our forensic team and other investigators and it is going to take quite some time to determine the actual cause of the accident,” he said.

“At the moment it is about shoring the scene up and making sure it is safe to recover the men down there.”

News_Image_File: Ambulance Rescue arrives at the Austar Coal Mine last night following a wall collapse. Picture: Bill Hearne

The mine remains closed while investigations are under way.

Mine management informed staff of the tragedy early this morning, Supt O’Dell said.

Supt O’Dell told reporters this morning the deaths would hit the local community hard.

“Our prayers and thoughts are certainly with the families of those men,” he said.

“Two local men, it’s a tragedy for all those involved, the other co-workers and the families involved as well. It’s a close knit community and it will be quite traumatic to lots of people,” he said.

News_Image_File: Another rescue team arrives at the Austar Coal Mine last night following a wall collapse. Picture: Bill Hearne

Police would not say what a possible cause of the collapse might have been.

“We are all working together to determine the cause of the collapse. The cause and the details is part of the investigation,” Supt O’Dell said.

“The workers are being spoken to by the management of the mine. Mine operations have ceased for today.”

AS THE INCIDENT UNFOLDED LAST NIGHT

Late last night emergency services were still hopeful of finding the men alive.

An Ambulance NSW spokeswoman said paramedics on the scene tried in vain to contact the missing men.

“It’s quite a distance below ground and we’re trying to establish communication,” she said.

Six ambulances, police and the NSW Fire and Rescue were last night on scene as well as the NSW Volunteer Rescue Association.

It is believed all rescue vehicles had left the scene by about 3am when forensics teams arrived.

PAST INCIDENTS AT THE MINE

In 2003, an underground fire on Christmas Eve forced the closure of the then-named Southland Coal Mine — owned by Gympie Gold — and triggered 200 job losses.

The fire was caused after ore spontaneously combusted in an area of the mine.

Workers were immediately evacuated after rising levels of carbon monoxide were registered and it took several days for the fire to be extinguished.

Yancoal — part of the Yanzhou Coal Mining Company — bought the shutdown mine in 2004 and renamed it Austar.

News_Image_File: Inspector Brian Tracey addresses media at the mine site last night. Picture: Bill Hearne

CFMEU mining representative Grahame Kelly told ABC radio this morning that the 2003 incident at the mine “was a number of years ago” and under a previous operator.

Mr Kelly said the industry was “highly regulated” and that there were staff in place “who’s pure role” was to look after the safety of miners underground.

“The matter here from our perspective at the end of the day is that a couple of miners have been killed, which is a difficult and our thoughts and prayers are with the families of those two members and also their workmates,” Mr Kelly said.

News_Image_File: Emergency services continue to arrive at the mine site following last night’s collapse. Picture: Bill Hearne

Mr Kelly said a district chief inspector was on-site last night assisting state authorities with investigations.

He said there was a wall with over 1800 names of miners killed in Hunter Valley coal mines.

“The good thing is in the more recent past we haven’t had too many names on the wall,” he said.

“Unfortunately this year this will be our third person to go on the wall which is not a great outcome.”

HOW THE MINE OPERATES

The mine is run by Yancoal Australia, an Australian-Chinese partnership, and is located about 8km from Cessnock.

Their website says the mine operates to a depth of up to 530m with the coal seams 1300m long and 220m wide.

The mine, previously known as Southland Coal, employs over 400 staff.

It has one of the largest coal reserves in the world and produces 3 million tonnes annually.

On Tuesday, the ASX-listed Yancoal reported heavy financial losses on its mine assets because of port and rail contracts that had been locked-in until 2018, exceeding its projected coal production.

It reported a loss after tax of $832 million to December 31 and its share price closed at 39 cents yesterday. It made a $375 million profit in 2012.

News_Image_File: The Austar Coal Mine was locked down night following a wall collapse. Picture: Bill Hearne

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