Skip to main contentSkip to navigationSkip to navigation
Miners work underground at the Harmony Goldmine, near Carletonville, South Africa.
Miners underground at the Harmony Goldmine, near Carletonville, South Africa. Photograph: Themba Hadebe/AP
Miners underground at the Harmony Goldmine, near Carletonville, South Africa. Photograph: Themba Hadebe/AP

All-night rescue saves 2,000 South African miners

This article is more than 16 years old

More than 2,000 miners trapped in a collapsed South African gold mine have been rescued in a dramatic all-night rescue operation.

About 1,200 workers remained stranded more than a mile underground after extensive damage to a lift shaft at the Elandsrand mine west of Johannesburg.

The miners, suffering from heat exhaustion in temperatures of up to 40C, were being brought out by a second, smaller lift with a capacity of about 75 people. Some of the men had been trapped underground for more than 28 hours.

Rescuers were confident of rescuing all the miners later today. All the workers are said to be in good health.

However, unions accused the mine owner of neglecting safety in the interests of profit and expressed fears of a further rock fall within the mine.

"The speed which people coming up has improved. It is no longer a snail's pace," said Peter Bailey, the National Union of Mineworkers' health and safety chairman.

"They are very, very stressed and tired and very relieved to be out."

Mr Bailey said the company had inspected the shaft last week for just 30 minutes rather than the full day required for a thorough inspection and said management had allowed an alternative emergency exit to become flooded.

The chairman of Harmony Gold, the mine owner, admitted the firm had to do more to improve safety.

"We have to recommit ourselves to refocus on safety in this country, our safety record both as a company and an industry leaves much to be desired," Patrice Motsepe said, according to the South African Press Association.

Sethiri Thibile, one of the first miners to be brought out, said there was no food or water underground.

"I was hungry, though we were all hungry," said Mr Thibile, 32, who had been underground for 24 hours.

"Most of the people are scared and we also have some women miners there underground."

Relatives of the miners gathered at the mine offices this morning hoping for news, with many complaining about a lack of information.

"I am very traumatised, exhausted, not knowing what is going on," said Sam Ramohanoe, whose wife, Flora, 31, was among the trapped miners. He said relatives had had to force the company to send an official to talk to them.

Amelia Soares, a Harmony Gold spokeswoman said rescue workers were in touch with the workers, who have adequate ventilation and water.

"Nobody was injured, but there was extensive damage to the steel work and electrical feeder cords," she said. Rescue workers were trying to adapt a second lift, used mainly to carry waste and equipment, to bring the trapped miners out. The second cage can only raise about 300 people an hour.

The company said the rescue attempt involved the largest number of trapped miners in South African history but that the operation should be completed by midday. Paramedics have gone underground to help those still trapped.

The cause of the accident was disputed, with the union blaming a rock fall and the company claiming a pipe carrying chilled water down the shaft, to cool air underground, had broken off, severing an electrical cable carrying power to the main lift.

South Africa's minerals and energy minister, Buyelwa Sonjica, pledged that health and safety legislation would be "tightened up" after visiting the mine.

"I wouldn't call it a crisis given that mining is risky in its nature, so incidents of this kind will occur, but I still think there is room for improvement and to reduce accidents in the mines," she said.

Some of the miners were working on sinking the shaft to 2.2 miles to tap richer seams and extend the life of the Elandsrand mine, which taps into the world's largest gold deposits.

South African mines have a poor safety record. The NUM said 12 times as many people are killed in mining accidents in South Africa than in Australia. Nearly 200 miners were killed last year and a similar number are expected to die this year. About 440,000 people work in South African gold, coal and platinum mines. The mine owners say South Africa faces unique problems because its mines are among the deepest in the world. The NUM blames lack of investment is the problem.

Most viewed

Most viewed