Miners have been all rescued. None suffered accidents, in accordance with the mining firm | Credit: Sibanye Stillwater Mining Co
About 260 miners trapped underground at a gold mine about an hour west of Johannesburg, South Africa, for over a day have been rescued. None of them is injured.
“All 260 miners trapped underground at Sibanye-Stillwater’s Kloof mine in Westonaria have been rescued,” Kaya Information reported Saturday.
The miners have been trapped on account of a shaft failure, which prompted injury to the hoisting infrastructure. The mining firm, Sibanye Stillwater, stated nobody was injured however that every one the miners would endure medical evaluations.
“At no level was there any threat of harm to workers throughout the incident, which occurred when the skip door of the Kloof 7 sub-shaft rock winder opened on the loading level on Degree 39, impacting Ranges 40, 41 and under,” the mining firm stated in a press launch.
Security stays a precedence
“Security stays our core precedence, and we won’t resume operations till we’re assured that every one the mandatory remedial actions have been carried out. I need to thank our administration, mine rescue, and medical groups for his or her dedication in guaranteeing that our colleagues returned safely to their households,” Sibanye-Stillwater CEO Neal Froneman stated.
In the meantime, mining unions, the NUM and AMCU, have slammed the corporate, claiming it took lengthy to report the incident. Work has resumed on website, as buses proceed to drop off different miners at this shaft.
“Thankfully, there have been no fatalities or accidents,” Nationwide Union of Mineworkers (NUM) Well being and Security Chairperson Duncan Luvuno instructed journalists on the website. “However for twenty-four hours, individuals weren’t consuming or ingesting something. This isn’t ample. Some have persistent ailments.”
Safety guards barred journalists from getting wherever close to the mine shaft. Nonetheless, a Reuters reporter noticed a few of the miners, wanting drained however in good well being, stroll to the perimeter of the corporate grounds and board buses.
In accordance with Reuters, the Kloof mine, which accounts for 14 per cent of Sibanye’s complete gold output, additionally operates two different shafts. The corporate mines platinum-group metals in South Africa and the US as effectively.
Mining accidents are usually not unusual in South Africa, the place casual diggers have taken over many deserted mines. Earlier this 12 months, not less than 78 our bodies have been pulled from an unlawful gold mine after police minimize off meals and water provides for months in an try to crack down on unlawful mining exercise.