Anglo American to suspend Grosvenor mine for 'months' after underground fire

Mining giant Anglo American was forced to suspend production at its Grosvenor steelmaking coal mine in Queensland after an underground fire at the weekend.

No injuries were reported and all workers were evacuated safely, though it is expected to take "several months" to get operations back up and running following a "coal gas ignition incident".

Grosvenor is expected to contribute 3.5m tonnes of steelmaking coal to Anglo's 15-17m total in 2024 – though the company said it will update the market with guidance "once more information is available".

"The mine team is working with specialist teams from the Queensland Mines Rescue Service and the regulatory authorities to extinguish the underground fire, prior to being able to assess the steps towards a safe re-entry into the mine," Anglo said in a statement.

"These procedures are expected to take several months as a result of the likely damage underground."