An underground mine explosion that killed a man and a young woman has underscored the dangers of the job with unions saying safety must never be taken for granted.

Emergency services responded to the disaster at Cobar, in northwest NSW, at 3.45am on Tuesday, and were told one man had been confirmed dead after the explosion.

Two women were brought to the surface, but one of them died soon after.

The dead victims have not yet been formally identified, but they are believed to be a woman in her 20s and a man in his 60s who had both been living in Cobar.

The second woman, also a Cobar local in her 20s, was flown to hospital suffering hearing damage and shock.

Mining and Energy Union NSW south western district president Bob Timbs said a "catastrophic failure of a safety system" would have

See Full Page