Mine management advised the inspectorate on 6 June that at approximately 11 pm the previous evening there had been a fall of ground from the roof in one 14 metre section of an underground roadway.

There were four workers operating with continuous mining machinery in the area at the time of the incident. None were injured and all four miners safely removed themselves from the affected area.

Mines inspectors are working with mine management to investigate the cause of the incident and monitor work to re-support the roof before fallen rock debris is removed and production can resume in that particular section of the mine.

Anglo American declined to comment on the incident to International Coal News.

The incident is bad news for Anglo American which is trying to sell its Grosvenor and Moranbah North mines as it exits the coal mining industry.

The two mines, once the flagship of the Anglo American coal presence in Australia, are expected to be sold together.

There has been reportedly strong interest from BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance, Glencore, as well as private equity group Apollo.

The mines have been undergoing an exhaustive due diligence process and prospective buyers are believed to be in the negotiating phase over price for the assets.