A devastating explosion occurred at the Endeavor underground metals mine north of Cobar, New South Wales, shortly after midnight on Tuesday, October 28. Heartbreakingly, two miners perished in this terrible incident. Patrick “Ambrose” McMullen, 59, and Holly Clarke, 24, lost their lives in the blast, which has prompted an investigation by authorities into its cause. The Endeavor mine is an important part of the Down Under country’s mining industry. Now it is under the microscope for lapses in safety protocols and how they handled explosives.
The blast happened early Tuesday morning, as workers were still in the setup phase of deploying equipment. Authorities said the device used to create ventilation ways in underground mining detonated by accident. This incident prompted the mining watchdog to take a fresh look at the device.
Community Mourning and Response
The local and Indigenous communities in Cobar are still understandably reeling from the loss of not one, but two young lives. Friar Paul Finucane had only just presided over a prayer service at the town’s annual Festival of the Miner’s Ghost days before the explosion. In the immediate community’s deep grief, he told the Associated Press soon after the shooting.
“There is a great sense of love, loss, and some sort of despair,” – Friar Paul Finucane
She was taken back to the surface, but sadly Clarke died within hours of her injuries. At the same time, fellow miner Mackenzie Stirling, 24, who had been injured during the explosion, was airlifted to Orange Hospital for treatment of her injuries. She has now returned home to resume her recovery.
Even emergency services had to contend with unsustainable conditions while fighting to recover McMullen’s body. He was stuck 700 meters underground following the blast. After a difficult extraction, the TAHMO team evacuated him successfully later that day.
Details on the Endeavor Mine
The Endeavor mine, located in the Central West region of New South Wales, has an illustrious history that includes almost 40 years of successful operation. In 2020, it moved into a care and maintenance mode because of the difficulty of making it profitable. Before its recent suspension, it was one of Australia’s biggest mines, making them the world’s largest zinc, silver and lead producers.
In the aftermath of this most recent disaster, Polymetals International responded by committing to restart mining operations at the Endeavor mine. They intend to implement this in a “staged approach,” beginning next week. The decision is echoed in popular debate about the need for safety measures and more stringent regulations surrounding the use of explosives and mining operations today.
Investigation and Safety Measures
Authorities have already launched an investigation into the cause of the explosion. The government body regulating blasting at mining operations said they would extend extra scrutiny to what happened before the blast.
“Workers were in the process of setting up when the unintended initiation of the device occurred,” – The regulator
This tragedy should be the final straw for the mining industry when it comes to flagrant disregard for safety. We want to make sure that these tragedies do not continue to happen. Friday’s message from Friar Finucane reflects that community’s desire for more safety measures.
“We all hoped it would never happen again,” – Friar Paul Finucane
As this investigation continues, local law enforcement is understandably on alert. Members of the community continue to fiercely advocate for updated and stringent safety regulations to protect America’s miners in the future.
