Tas: Search for remaining miners continues

AAP General News (Australia)
04-28-2006
Tas: Search for remaining miners continues

BEACONSFIELD, Tasmania, April 28 AAP - Rescue crews are today continuing the grim task
of searching for two miners trapped in a Tasmanian gold mine.

Hopes of bringing the two men out alive are slim after the body of a third miner was
recovered yesterday.

The remaining miners ae Todd Russell, a footballer and father of three in his 30s,
and Brant (Brant) Webb, 37, from nearby Beauty Point.

The pair have been trapped almost one kilometre underground at the Beaconsfield Gold
Mine, about 40 km north-west of Launceston, since Tuesday night when an earth tremor triggered
a rockfall.

The body of their colleague, Larry Paul Knight, 44, of Launceston, was located using
a remote-controlled camera early yesterday and retrieved just after 8pm (AEST).

Acting Sergeant Anthony Roughan said today that crews had worked through the night
drilling a second tunnel to access the miners. The task is expected to take up to five
days.

"At the instruction of the coroner, a second tunnel has been drilled and is being drilled
now," he told AAP.

"The town of Beaconsfield has a rescue centre and was operating 24 hours until last
night. It's open at eight o'clock this morning currently for family and friends until
the matter is resolved."

AAP cmb/ce/ao

KEYWORD: MINE SECOND DAYLEAD

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