MINERS and union leaders yesterday blamed managers eager to pounce on rising gold prices for a Tasmanian mine collapse that left two men trapped a kilometre below ground for 14 days.

Several miners from the Beaconsfield goldmine — including some who were involved in the dramatic rescue at dawn of Brant Webb, 37, and Todd Russell, 34 — said that mine managers had failed to leave enough of the deeper levels unexploited to provide support.

“There were simply not enough pillars left in the whole mine because of the value of the ore,” one miner told The Australian. If they found an ore body, they’d just take it out.”

The men were trapped by a rockfall at a depth of 925m (3,035ft). A third miner, Larry Knight, 44, was killed.

The managers of the mine have declined to respond to allegations of unsafe practices, pending an inquiry. Mr Russell attended the funeral of his colleague yesterday and last night joined hundreds of residents who had been celebrating the rescue all day in the pubs of Beaconsfield.

He downed a bourbon and coke but declined to speak to reporters about his ordeal.

He and Mr Webb were riding in small cage deep in the mine when an earthquake triggered a rockfall late on the night of April 25.A large rock landed on the top of their roofless cage and kept them from being smothered.

After Mr Knight’s body was discovered the pair were given up for dead until their voices were picked up by a tiny microphone pushed through the rock. The discovery sparked a frantic tunnelling effort that took more than a week.

Max Markson, a leading celebrity agent in Sydney, said yesterday that the freed miners could probably sell their story for $A1 million (£415,000). “Every day that it has been going on has made the story a bigger story,” he said.

In the last phase of the rescue explosives were placed close to the trapped men to weaken ancient rock five times harder than concrete.

Darren Flanagan, who directed the delicate operation, said that he had used about 60 blasts, the closest within 30cm (12in) of the men.

All the time Mr Flanagan was worried about injuring the miners or triggering another collapse. “This was a whole new level of pressure for me,” he said.

The tunnellers finally broke through, using a chisel to open a crack wide enough to see through.

Glen Burns, a rescuer, said: “We just made eye contact — that was first — and then we made the hole a bit bigger and shook their hands.”

Mr Webb and Mr Russell emerged from the mine to be greeted by about 200 journalists and many pyjama-clad local people. They walked out unassisted, punched the air and snatched their nametags from a board displaying the names of men working below.

A church bell in the town that was last rung to signal the end of the Second World War was sounded in thanks.

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