'Farewell old friend': Irishman killed in mine disaster

The outback town of Cobar has been left reeling after the early morning disaster on Tuesday, which experts say appeared to be an avoidable tragedy.

A woman in her 20s and a man in his 60s were killed, while a second woman in her 20s was flown to hospital with hearing damage and shock.

The man has been identified as Irish national Ambrose "Ambie" McMullen, who lived in Cobar and has been remembered as "well-known" in his home town of Cootehill.

Ciaran Mullooly, an Irish member of the European Parliament, remembered working with Mr McMullen in the 1980s.

"Ambie was a treasured colleague … (he) was a lovely man, great fun and craic and we enjoyed many's (sic) the night out," he posted on Facebook.

"RIP Ambie, farewell old friend."

When emergency services arrived shortly after the explosion, they were told Mr McMullen was already dead.

The two women were brought to the surface but one of them died soon after.

Police confirmed on Wednesday that Mr McMullen's body had been recovered from below ground.

He was remembered by locals in Ireland for his love of Gaelic football, along with a friendly personality.

"He left Cootehill in the mid-1980's to travel and found a new home and life down under in Australia," his former classmate and local councillor Carmel Brady said.

The explosion has thrust the sector's safety systems into the spotlight.

University of Queensland mining safety expert David Cliff said it was rare for such incidents to occur and he believed it was an avoidable tragedy.

But the professor, who previously served as a health and safety adviser to the Queensland Mining Council, said it was not clear whether the incident was the result of human error, machine failure or premature detonation.

He pointed to several factors, including possible gaps in institutional knowledge with mining operations restarting in 2025 after ASX-listed Polymetals acquired the site in 2023.

The lead and zinc mine had operated since 1982 but was put into "care and maintenance" mode in 2020.

Along with its Cobar mine, Polymetals holds two licences in Guinea, where it has previously explored for gold.

Mining and Energy Union NSW district president Bob Timbs said a "catastrophic failure of a safety system" would have caused the deaths.

The NSW Resources Regulator confirmed it would steer an incident investigation, while police will also prepare a report for the coroner.

The site, 40km north of Cobar, is a major underground silver, zinc and lead mine. 

It is the second-largest project in the resource-rich region.

Australian Associated Press