The employee, who was described as suffering significant injuries but was not named, was flown to Newcastle Hospital for surgery where he is now in a stable condition, a spokesperson for Xstrata said today.

Xstrata will cooperate with the Mines Inspectorate to determine the cause of the accident, which is believed to have involved a longwall chock.

“We extend our support to the family of the employee involved in the accident,” the spokesperson said.