Two miners were pinned by fallen rocks at the Mount Clear mine on Wednesday afternoon.

Australian Workers Union Victoria state secretary Ronnie Hayden said the union was called to attend the mine after the men had become trapped underground about 5pm on Wednesday.

“Shortly after that, we were actually informed that one of the miners was killed at work,” Hayden said on Thursday.

“It’s no longer a rescue. It’s now recovery.”

Police and paramedics stabilised and extracted the other man about 8.30pm on Wednesday.

The 21-year-old Ballarat man was treated for lower body injuries and airlifted to hospital in a life-threatening condition.P

Police on Thursday morning recovered the body of a second trapped man, aged 37 from Bruthen, east of Bairnsdale.

The two workers were undertaking a manual type of mining called air legging, Hayden said.

“They were, it appears, under unsupported ground and it has collapsed,” he said.

Twenty-five other miners who were able to take refuge in a safety pod after the collapse were successfully brought to the surface a short time later.

The incident occurred about 3km underground from the entrance to the mine.

The mine’s owners Victory Mineral said its emergency response team was working closely with Victoria Police and other authorities.

“Right now our priority is the safety and well-being of our mining workers and their families,” it said in a statement.

“We would like to assure the community we are working as quickly and as safely as we can to help bring this worker to the surface.”

Victory Minerals took operational control of the Ballarat Goldmine in December 2023.

“We bring significant experience and expertise to the mine,” it said.

“We are a safety first mine operator and respect the work that underground miners perform every day.”

The mine’s website states it has an extensive network of tunnels and operates deep beneath buildings, streets and homes.

In 2007, 27 miners were trapped underground at the mine for several hours before being winched to safety.

– AAP