NZ man dies in gold mine fall

A Kaiapoi man has died after he fell 30 metres at a gold mine in Western Australia.

Daniel Williams, a truck driver, was working 900m underground in the Kanowna Belle gold mine, about 20km east of Kalgoorlie when the incident happened on Saturday.

M r Williams, 26, moved to Kalgoorlie four years ago, following in the footsteps of his father Paul Williams. Both men worked at Kanowna Belle, The Press newspaper reported.

Mr Williams was due to marry Carlie Wiggins, the mother of his two-year-old son Tyson, later this year.

His body was taken to Perth for an autopsy.

Mr Williams' mother Sharon Russell has flown to Western Australia, and hoped to bring the body back to Canterbury on Saturday.

His aunt Rowena Fulham said he was an avid rugby and rugby league fan and had won Canterbury titles as a pool player.

He had one sister and twin brothers.

Mine owner Barrick Australia Pacific, the Western Australian Department of Mines and Petroleum and the coroner are investigating the death.

Yesterday the Australian Workers' Union called for a parliamentary inquiry into mine safety.

Mr Williams' death was the fourth in Australian mining industry fatality this year and the eighth in the past 14 months.

- NZPA