Miners Trapped Underground at South African Gold Mine
Nearly a third of the 260 miners trapped underground at a Sibanye-Stillwater gold mine in South Africa have been rescued as of Friday. The accident occurred when the hoisting system was used to reach the shaft of the Kloof gold mine, located about 37 miles west of Johannesburg. Thankfully, no federal officials were reported injured.
As per the company’s statement, 79 miners were successfully brought to the surface by 1:30 PM local time during the initial phase of the extraction operation. The company reassured that the remaining 181 miners were receiving food and would be brought up once the hoisting mechanism was confirmed working.
A spokesperson for Sibanye mentioned to Reuters that they expect the entire operation to be completed “soon.”
Duncan Lebuno, the chairman of the National Union of Mineworkers, reported to journalists on-site that, fortunately, there were no fatalities or injuries. However, the situation raised concerns as some miners had gone without food or water for 24 hours. “This isn’t adequate, particularly for those with chronic health issues,” he added.
While journalists were restricted from getting close to the mine shaft due to security, Reuters reporters noted that they were in good health while walking to the company’s grounds.
The relatives of those still trapped expressed anxiety over the situation. Mamodis Mokone, whose husband is among those stuck underground, said, “I haven’t slept a wink. I urge the management to act swiftly; I just want my husband back safely.”
Sibanye had previously indicated that all workers were safe following the “shaft incident” at Kloof 7, and the miners were directed to a designated meeting point as rescue efforts began.
This Kloof mine is significant for Sibanye, accounting for 14% of its total gold production. The company operates some of the deepest and costliest gold mines in the world, extracting gold from about two miles below the surface.
Mining accidents occur relatively often in South Africa, where many abandoned mines have fallen into the hands of informal diggers. In fact, earlier this year, authorities recovered at least 78 bodies from illegal sites after cutting off food and water supplies for months in an attempt to dampen illicit mining activities.
