The injured person was sent to the nearby Theodore Hospital, according to the ABC.

A spokesperson for the company said in a statement: "Anglo American has confirmed an incident occurred at Dawson Mine near Moura this morning in which two contractors working at the site were injured.

"Operations at the mine have been suspended. Anglo American immediately notified emergency services and is providing them with our full cooperation.

"The Queensland Mines Inspectorate has also been advised and inspectors are on their way to site.

"At this point in time our focus will be on ensuring the safety of all people at the mine site while the incident is being managed.

"Anglo American’s employee assistance program has been made available to provide support and counselling to employees as required."

The news is a blow for Anglo after it started to obtain better results from its Dawson open cut mine, which has Leighton Holdings as its main contractor on site.

Anglo American’s Australian export thermal coal production had increased by 18% to 1.9 million tonnes in the December quarter, due to improved productivity at Dawson.

Last year the company reported fatalities at its Grasstree mine and its Foxleigh mine in 2010, also because of a tyre exploding.

London’s Financial Times has claimed that Dawson and Foxleigh mines were being primed for a possible sale, with Bank of America Merrill Lynch involved in the process.