All 260 miners who were trapped underground at a South African gold mine for over 24 hours have been safely rescued, according to the mine’s operator, Sibanye-Stillwater.
The miners became stranded on Thursday following a malfunction involving a hoist at the Kloof gold mine, located around 60 kilometres west of Johannesburg. The damaged lift system, essential for accessing the mine shaft, left the workers unable to return to the surface.
In a statement on Friday, Sibanye-Stillwater confirmed that the first group of 79 miners was brought up by 1:30 pm local time, with the remaining workers safely extracted six hours later.
The company stressed that no lives were at risk during the incident and that a decision had been made to avoid using emergency escape routes, which would have required miners to make long and potentially exhausting journeys on foot underground.
Families of the trapped workers gathered anxiously at the mine entrance throughout the rescue operation, with local television footage capturing scenes of concern and relief.
“All employees involved will receive full medical assessments, and support is also being provided to their families,” the company added.
The National Union of Mineworkers said the issue began at approximately 10:00 am on Thursday and expressed alarm that miners had remained underground for nearly 20 hours.
Earlier on Friday, Sibanye-Stillwater spokesperson Henrika Ninham had clarified that while the workers were not in immediate danger, they were kept at a sub-shaft station as a precaution until the hoist system could be repaired.
Mining remains a critical part of South Africa’s economy, employing hundreds of thousands and contributing heavily to the export of gold, platinum, coal, diamonds, and other minerals. Despite advances in safety, mining accidents continue to occur, with 42 fatalities recorded so far in 2024, down from 55 the previous year, according to the Minerals Council South Africa.
Sibanye-Stillwater CEO Neal Froneman said on Friday that operations at the Kloof mine would remain suspended until all necessary safety measures had been fully reviewed and enforced.
