A man has died following a crash at a coal mine in the Hunter Valley yesterday afternoon.
Emergency services were called to the Wambo mine site just after 1pm following reports of a crash.
Officers attached to Hunter Valley Police District attended alongside Fire and Rescue NSW and located a man who had been struck by a truck. The man, believed to be aged in his 50s, died at the scene. He is yet to be formally identified, and a report will be prepared for the Coroner.
NSW Minerals Council chief executive Stephen Galilee said the mining industry was mourning the loss of a worker at the United Wambo mine.
“This tragedy highlights the hazards faced by those working in our industry and is a sombre reminder of why the safety of our workforce must always be our number one priority,” Mr Galilee said.
He said the thoughts of miners across the state would be with the man’s family, colleagues and the wider Hunter mining community.
That’s a sentiment echoed my Hunter MP and Special Envoy for Men’s Health Dan Repacholi, who is encouraging those impacted by yesterday’s tragedy to seek help.
“There’s lots of services that you can access if you need to have a chat with somebody,” he said.
“Or have a chat with your mates, have a chat with your friends on site, have a chat to your family.
“What those workers and the families and the friends will be going through will be absolutely horrifying for them. So please make sure everybody’s reaching out to them and making sure that they’ve got somebody they can talk to.”
