Probe after miner hospitalised in Tara Mines fire

A “significant incident investigation” has been launched after an underground fire at Tara Mines left one miner in hospital.

The Air Corp were contacted to fly the Mine Rescue Team from Lisheen Mine in Co Tipperary to the Navan mine to assist local operations after the fire broke out at 11.35am last Saturday.

Miners on duty had to remain underground at their nearest refuge stations for over nine hours — until 9pm that night when the fire was extinguished.

During that time, a search was launched for a missing miner who initially raised the fire alarm when the machine he was working on caught fire.

He was found by the rescue teams at 2.10pm and subsequently taken to Our Lady’s Hospital in Navan.

He was then transferred to Our Lady of Lourdes in Drogheda. He was released on Sunday.

Two other miners were taken to hospital for precautionary observation.

The fire broke out 300m below ground level in a machine that is used to spray concrete onto the roof and walls to reinforce them.

The mine has since contacted all relevant authorities and an investigation has been launched.

According to a spokesperson at Tara Mines: “On Saturday at 11.35am, the operator of the machine that caught fire raised the alarm and an emergency was declared. Stench gas was injected into the mine and all personnel underground were evacuated to their nearest refuge stations.

“By 12.10[pm] all were accounted for, with the exception of the machine operator.

“He was found by the mine rescue teams at 2.07pm and taken to hospital.

“The mine rescue teams remained at the scene of the fire and worked at extinguishing the fire on the rig which was finally extinguished at 9pm.”

He continued: “A significant incident investigation has been launched and a full investigation into the cause of the fire will start as soon as the machine can be examined.”

He concluded: “The company is extremely grateful to everyone who was involved in dealing with this serious incident”.

The Air Corp confirmed that they “were requested by An Garda Síochána to assist with transporting the Mine Rescue Team to the fire at Lisheen”.

“An AW 139 helicopter was tasked to assist and they dropped the team at the location.”