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Tragic incident at Peabody’s Wilpinjong mine

A worker has died at the Peabody Energy-owned Wilpinjong coal mine near Mudgee in New South Wales.

The worker collapsed in the administration area crib room at around 4pm last Wednesday (October 17).

Peabody Australia president George J. Schuller Jr. said, “[Last Wednesday] emergency services were called to our Wilpinjong mine to respond to an employee who was experiencing a medical emergency.

“Despite receiving emergency medical attention, unfortunately he passed away.”

A spokesperson for the Department of Planning and Environment’s Resources Regulator said mine safety investigators from the Resources Regulator have made their way to the scene and begun an investigation.

Information will be released by the regulator within 14 days of the incident.

On behalf of all of us at Peabody, I offer my heartfelt sympathies to the family and friends of our team member at this distressing time,” Schuller said.

“This is very difficult news for the Peabody family at Wilpinjong and for our entire company. He was a valued member of our Wilpinjong team, having worked with us since June 2017.

“Peabody will support the man’s family in whatever way we can and ensure we look after the welfare of our employees at Wilpinjong.”

Wilpinjong mine is in the western coalfields of NSW, 48km north-east of Mudgee.

The mine produces thermal coal for domestic and export markets, and sold 13.4 million tonnes (Mt) of coal in 2017. There were 505 employees recruited at the mine this year.

Peabody also reported a 6 per cent improvement in its global safety rate since 2013.

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