A remote Northern Territory mine has ordered to close after a worker remains buried underneath a rockfall from yesterday afternoon.
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Police this afternoon said the man's likelihood of survival "was low".
Primary Industry and Resources Minister Paul Kirby this afternoon ordered the Bootu Creek manganese mine to cease operations immediately.
A 59-year-old man from Darwin has been identified as the mine worker trapped underneath the mine collapse since yesterday afternoon.
This happened after a 29-year-old woman drowned at Edith (Leliyn) Falls yesterday.
Katherine Times has been told other swimmers tried to help the woman but they were not able to save her.
Meanwhile, at the unfolding Bootu Creek tragedy, emergency services have been at the mine since late yesterday with NT WorkSafe to launch an investigation on what has happened.
"The incident at Bootu Creek Mine is an absolute tragedy and my thoughts go to all the workers at the site and the families involved," Mr Kirby said.
"Territorians have the right to go to work and return safely to their families.
"I directed that an Instruction be issued by the department to OM (Manganese) Ltd, requiring them to cease in-pit operations immediately. The Instruction has been issued.
The incident is currently under police investigation and NT Worksafe have been notified and are soon to be at the site.
A man has been buried under "a significant volume of soil and rock" when a wall collapsed at a manganese mine in the central Northern Territory.
"An employee is believed to have been engulfed under a significant volume of soil and rock," police said in a statement.
The Bootu Creek mine is owned by Singapore-based OM Holdings.
Chris McLennan
ACM national rural property writer based in Bacchus Marsh, Victoria. Career journalist. Multi award winner.
ACM national rural property writer based in Bacchus Marsh, Victoria. Career journalist. Multi award winner.
