The search for three men trapped deep underground in a Tasmanian gold mine is into its second day.
Rescue crews have been working through the night using excavators and camera equipment to try and locate the miners.
It's feared they may have been buried under a rockfall at the Beaconsfield Gold Mine and Paul Howes from the Australian Workers' Union is not optimistic.
"Any time that there is a rock collapse, or a cave in at any mine, the odds are stacked up against you in terms of survival." He said.
"This is the most serious accident that we've had in the gold industry for several years and things aren't looking good at this stage."
The Prime Minister, John Howard has offered his support to the miners and their families.
"We can only hope and prayer that they are recovered in good health. It is obviously a very distressful situation and we can only begin to imagine the trauma and anxiety of those close to them."