Fire At Newmont Mining Gold Mine In New Zealand

(REUTERS) -- A fire at a New Zealand gold mine owned by Newmont Mining Corp on Tuesday forced the evacuation of almost 30 miners holed up in underground refuge chambers and halted all operations.

Newmont Mining Corporation, the world's second-largest gold producer, said 28 miners were underground when a truck engine started the fire at its Waihi Trio gold mine, about 120 km (75 miles) southeast of Auckland on New Zealand's North Island.

Newmont said rescuers had initially evacuated 13 miners from two chambers before returning for the remaining 15.

"We've had confirmation that the remaining 15 miners are on the surface. So everyone is now accounted for and well," Waihi Gold general operations manager Glen Grindlay said.

Grindlay also said the fire had been contained.

Earlier, television footage showed plumes of smoke rising from a mine shaft. The Trio mine is a hard rock gold mine and Newmont said there was no risk of a mine explosion.

U.S. gold producer Newmont is based in Colorado and has operations around the world. Newmont Waihi Gold manages the Martha, Favona and Trio operations in Waihi, New Zealand.

A methane gas explosion at the Pike River coal mine on the country's South Island killed 29 miners in 2010, prompting the closure of the mine. State-owned New Zealand coal miner Solid Energy has since said it would purchase the mine.