Tragedy struck at the Agnew gold mine situated 23 km west of Leinster, WA, when a sheet of construction material fell on three people injuring them.
The miners injured in the gold mine collapse have been flown by the Royal Flying Doctor Service to the Royal Perth Hospital for treatment.
The list of injuries of the miners includes chest injuries, bone fractures and a suspected spinal injury. Two planes of the RFDS came to the mine to bring the injured men for treatment to Perth. The fist came from Kalgoorlie and the second one from Perth.
After being assessed by a Royal Flying Doctor Service doctor they were found to be in a serious but stable condition. The injuries were not seen as life threatening. The mine is owned by the South African gold producer, Gold Fields.
The men were said to be constructing an explosive storage area when the piece of concrete reinforcing mesh fell on them. The mesh was not part of the underground mine. The Department of Mines and Petroleum is investigating the incident. The incident site has now been isolated from the rest of the mine.
A spokeswoman said that mine safety inspectors from the department were now making inquiries into the incident, which will be subject to a formal and thorough investigation. The department will take any necessary appropriate action upon collection of all evidence she added.