Two men have allegedly died following a drunken brawl at the AngloGold Ashanti operated Tropicana Gold Mine in Western Australia on Monday 19 May 2014. A 28-year-old truck driver is reported to have fallen and struck his head after being punched by a 29-year-old man from Perth, and subsequently died despite attempts by medical personnel on the site to revive him. The second man, an as yet unnamed father of three, reportedly later took his own life. Both men are understood to have worked for contractors Macmahon Holdings.
The Tropicana Gold Mine. Watpac.
The Tropicana Mine is located at the edge of the Great Victoria Desert, and 330 km from the nearest settlement, Kalgoorlie. For this reason workers stay on site for extended periods while working, rather than returning to their homes after each shift. The sale and consumption of alcohol on the site is restricted but permitted, and employees at the site have reported that some workers use the opportunity of shift changes (which result in a 24 hour break from work) to drink to excess.
The approximate location of the Tropicana Gold Mine. Google Maps.
The incident is currently being investigated by the Major Crime Squad of the Western Australia Police on behalf of the State Coroner, and independently by the Department of Mines and Petroleum.
See also...
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