Rescuers work tirelessly to save trapped miners

Harmony Gold said that rescue teams were yesterday continuing to work tirelessly to recover the remaining two trapped mineworkers at its Kusasalethu mine near Carletonville.

Five miners were trapped underground on Friday after a fall of ground at the gold mine. Three bodies have been brought to the surface.

The 1.8 magnitude seismic event, about 3 100 metres below the surface, occurred at around 10.30am causing a 10-metre fall of ground.

Harmony’s chief executive, Peter Steenkamp, said challenging ground conditions were slowing down a fast recovery.

“Government, organised labour and Harmony have a shared focus towards the rescue. We will not rest until the remaining two employees have been found and brought to surface,” Steenkamp said.

Meanwhile, the Chamber of Mines also extended its “heartfelt sympathies” to the families, friends, and colleagues of the three employees who have died.

South Africa has the world’s deepest mines – as deep as 4 000 metres below the surface in some cases – which the Chamber said was challenging and brought with it associated risks and hazards.

There has been a sustained reduction in the number of fatalities and fall of ground incidents. Since 1994, the number of fatalities in the industry declined by around 88 percent, while fatalities as a result of fall of ground incidents declined by 92 percent over the same period. – ANA

Picture: Reuters A picture of late Princess Diana is displayed at the bottom of the Liberty Flame monument at the Place de l’Alma, above the underpass where Diana, Princess of Wales, was killed in a car accident on August 31, 1997 in Paris.