WorkSafe investigating after fire destroys cab of $18m excavator at Kalgoorlie Super Pit
A fire destroyed the cab of an $18 million Komatsu excavator at the Kalgoorlie Super Pit in Australia. WorkSafe WA is investigating the incident, though no injuries were reported and operations remain unaffected.
Why it matters
The incident highlights the operational risks and high capital costs associated with large-scale mining equipment in the resources sector.
The Komatsu PC8000 shovel was badly damaged by fire and leaked images show inside the driver's cab. ( Supplied: Instagram )
A fire badly damaged a large mining shovel operating at Kalgoorlie's Super Pit gold mine.
No-one was injured in the September 9 fire, but the excavator has an estimated replacement cost of $18 million.
Safety regulator WorkSafe WA is investigating the incident alongside gold miner Northern Star Resources.
Link copied Share Share article WorkSafe WA is investigating after a fire engulfed the driver's cab of a heavy-duty mining shovel at one of Australia's biggest gold mines.
The incident occurred last Wednesday during the night shift while the 750-tonne Komatsu PC8000 shovel was working in the Oroya Brownhill section of Kalgoorlie's Super Pit, about 600 kilometres east of Perth.
The Super Pit's owner, gold miner Northern Star Resources, confirmed no one was injured in the incident.
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