The Mine Safety Investigation Unit has temporarily ruled out a gas outburst as a cause to last month’s Austar mine collapse near Cessnock, that killed two men.
Preliminary investigations failed to find evidence of elevated gas readings before, during or after the event.
The report does however identify the significant stress the coal seam is subject to at 555 metres below the surface, where the men were working on April 15.
Further analysis of data and geological conditions is continuing.
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