27 rescued with no injuries after mine collapse in Australia

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Twenty-seven men were trapped deep underground on Monday when part of their gold mine in southern Australia collapsed, until a mobile phone call from the buried workers triggered a rescue effort. None of the 27 men working underground were injured when the collapse occurred about 4 a.m. at the mine near the town of Mount Clear in Victoria state, and they were able to reach a safety chamber, officials said. Trapped about 1 kilometer underground and with breathable air in short supply, rescuers rushed to aid the men, and were able to lower cables through an air shaft and lift the men to safety, said Joe Dowling, spokesman for the mining company Ballarat Gold. Police Senior Constable Leigh Wadeson said authorities were alerted to the collapse when one of the miners used his mobile phone to make a call from underground.