Tributes flow after Holly Clarke, 24, and Ambrose ‘Ambie’ McMullen, 59, killed in Cobar’s Endeavor Mine explosion

A young woman killed in an underground mine explosion in far western NSW has been remembered as someone who always had a smile on her face.

Holly Clarke, a 24-year-old miner from Cobar, was working at the Endeavor mine in her hometown about 450km east of Broken Hill, with two others when the explosion occurred about 3.45am on Tuesday.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Two killed in Cobar mine explosion.

It is understood the trio were on a night shift and had travelled underground to set charges when the explosives unexpectedly detonated before they could reach safety.

One of the miners, 59-year-old Ambrose “Ambie” Patrick McMullen, was killed instantly.

Clarke and another 24-year-old woman, Mackenzie Stirling, were brought to the surface.

Clarke later died from her injuries, while Stirling was airlifted to Orange Health Service suffering hearing damage and shock.

Her condition improved throughout the day and she was listed as stable on Tuesday night.

The tragedy has left the mining community reeling, with many of Clarke’s friends changing their social media profile photos to a mining helmet bearing the words “in memory of our fallen miners”.

Some took to social media to pay tribute to the young miner.

“My heart is so broken right now!” one wrote.

“I’ll never forget you or our days at Inland, you always brightened up a room when you walked in. I’ll cherish our friendship forever.”

Another friend echoed: “She always had a smile on her face, would make anyone’s day.”

A third remembered Clarke and McMullen as “beautiful souls taken too soon”.

Cobar mayor Jarrod Marsden said the community is “devastated”, “in shock”, and the tragedy was “impossible to try to find the words to describe it”.

“The most valuable thing in a mine are the miners, and two families won’t see their loved ones again,” he said.

“Their lives have been changed forever, just decimated by this.”

NSW Premier Chris Minns and Minister for Natural Resources Courtney Houssos released a joint statement saying it was a “heartbreaking day” for the Cobar community and that the tragedy would impact all of those working in the mining industry.

“We extend our deepest condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of the workers who have tragically died in Cobar today,” they said.

“We understand investigations are still underway.”

Endeavor is the second largest mine in Australia’s polymetallic region and produces zinc, silver and lead.

It is an old mine which stopped operating in 2020 but was bought by Polymetals in 2023, with mining activity only resuming in June.

It employs more than 200 workers, with about 30 on site the night of the explosion.

The operation has been shut down while investigations continue.