Queensland mine shut after two fatalities in the last three weeks

Queensland's mining regulator has stepped in to shut down operations at a north Queensland coal mine - after two fatal incidents in three weeks.

Transcript

00:00Resources Safety Health Queensland has stepped in to effectively shut down the Biowire coal

00:07mine in the Bowen Basin.

00:08A worker was killed when a haul truck ran over a light vehicle on Thursday afternoon.

00:14It comes after earlier this month when a 48-year-old was killed after being struck by a crane.

00:20All workers had been sent home on Thursday and the mine will remain closed until it's

00:25deemed safe by authorities.

00:28Sarah, how many miners have died in Australia this year?

00:31Well, out of the six miners who have died in Australia this year, three of them have

00:36come from Queensland.

00:37The Mining and Energy Union is calling for QCoal, the Biowire coal mine, the owner of

00:42the mine, to have its mining licence revoked.

00:46But the State Resource Minister says Queensland has some of the toughest legislation in the

00:50world but says the investigation will help improve safety measures.

00:57For more information visit www.fema.gov.au