Miners in the money as mates fear for their Beaconsfield jobs

The two Tasmanian miners trapped almost 1km below ground for 14 days yesterday appeared set to become millionaires as their rescuers feared for their jobs.

Todd Russell and Brant Webb have signed a deal reportedly worth up to A$2 million ($2.4 million) with the Nine network after a bidding war with rival Channel Seven.

But while further riches from book, film and American television rights also appeared likely, union negotiators could win no guarantee that the Beaconsfield gold mine would remain open.

The mine has been closed until investigations into its safety have been completed, but with the joint venture that operates it remaining in liquidation with debts of tens of millions of dollars, its future is in doubt.

New details of the Anzac Day collapse that entombed Mr Webb, 37, and Mr Russell, 34, also began emerging yesterday from the inquest into the death of 44-year-old colleague Larry Knight, killed when tonnes of rock collapsed on to the wall-lining machine the three were operating.

Mine manager Matthew Gill told the opening day of the inquest that he believed the collapse had been triggered by a seismic event located above the three miners.

He said an earlier rockfall in October last year had followed a similar tremor, but that the mine operator had devised a risk management plan to minimise the danger.

The human drama of the disaster, which pinned the surviving miners inside a steel cage less than 2m square, will be made public for the first time on Sunday night, in a two-hour TV special on Nine.

Other accounts have emerged since the men were freed but Mr Russell and Mr Webb have not told their story. Although a close bond developed between TV channel Seven morning show host David Koch and Mr Russell - leading to speculation that network had won the deal - Nine boss Eddie McGuire was already shouting Mr Russell and his mates at their local the night after the rescue.

Despite initial denials by Seven, Nine yesterday announced it had signed up the two miners for the Sunday night special.

After announcing the deal Mr McGuire told Macquarie Radio that the Australian Women's Weekly and the Bulletin - both part of the Publishing and Broadcasting group that owns Nine - would also be able to interview Mr Russell and Mr Webb.

The miners would also later be able to sell their story to US bidders.