Yesterday 28 miners working underground at the Trio mine were rescued after a truck engine fire.

The company has launched a full investigation into the incident, but said the successful evacuation was a testament to the mine’s high safety standards.

“Our priority now is to investigate yesterday’s incident, and staff underground at the time will be interviewed as part of that process,” Newmont Waihi Gold general manager Glen Grindlay said.

“But this was a textbook rescue. It’s a scenario we train for regularly. Everyone involved knew what to do, and the guys underground knew they were safe and help was on its way.

“We are guided not just by New Zealand mine safety regulations, but are also heavily influenced by the regulations adhered to by our operations in Australia.”

He said it was the first incident of that type in six years of underground mining at the operation.

“Fires like the one yesterday can smoulder for a day or two,” Grindlay said.

“Because of the risk of tyres exploding the best thing to do is just leave them to burn out, rather than attempt to put them out.”

He said underground mine operations were likely to resume within days, rather than weeks, but that would depend on the pace of the investigation.

The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s High Hazards Unit is conducting its own investigation into the incident.

Operations in the Martha pit will resume today.

The Waihi gold operations on NZ’s North Island comprises the Martha open pit and Trio and Favona underground mines.

The company is also developing a fourth mine, Golden Link, at the project.

This article first appeared in ILN' sister publication MiningNews.net.