Australian zinc miners trapped underground after blackout

Local media reports that two miners have been trapped in a cage underground since late Monday.

SYDNEY (Reuters)  - 

Two miners have been trapped in a cage underground since late Monday at a remote Australian zinc mine after a power blackout, a local media report said on Tuesday.

The two men were reported to be safe.

Executives of the mine's owner, Perilya Ltd (PEM.AX: Quote) and the Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU), could not be immediately reached for comment.

A CFMEU spokesman at the mine site 1,100 kilometres (680 miles) east of Sydney, Greg Braes, said a dust storm hit the outback town of Broken Hill on Monday, cutting power at the Perilya mine, Australian Associated Press reported.

The company was setting up a rescue operation to get the miners out safely, according to the report.

The mine is forecast to yield 55,000 tonnes of zinc and 50,000 tonnes of lead this year. (Reporting by James Regan; Editing by Michael Urquhart)

© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved 

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