Power cut traps 950 miners

ABOUT 950 gold miners were stuck underground in the Free State yesterday after a power cut, the mine’s owner said, although the workers were not reported to be in immediate danger.

The Sibanye-Stillwater mining company said a massive power outage had prevented lifts from bringing the night shift to the surface at the Beatrix gold mine, near Welkom.

“We sent rescue teams down, accounted for all the people and we obviously are trying to get them out of there as soon as possible,” Sibanye-Stillwater spokesman James Wellsted told eNCA television.

“All employees appear to be fine. We are supplying food and water,” Wellsted said later in a telephone message.

He said the depth where the miners were trapped was uncertain, but the mine has 23 levels, going down to about 1 000 metres below ground.

About 65 people were rescued during the day, with 950 remaining trapped by early evening, the company said.

Wellsted said engineers were struggling to get emergency generators to operate and restart the lifts.

“We are having some issues – probably related to the power surge linked to the storm – in getting the winders working, so we are busy working on that issue at the moment,” he said.

“Last night [Wednesday], there was a severe storm in the Free State that affected two different power cables and cut off all electricity supply to the mine, so we were unable to bring the night shift up.”

One cable was restored during the day yesterday.

The Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) said that the workers stuck underground were facing major health and safety risks.

“Amcu views this incident as extreme due to the sheer number of workers involved,” it said.

“The incident raises serious concern regarding the lack of emergency contingency plans at the mine for alternative and back-up power generation.”

It said workers’ lives could be in danger from dehydration and lack of nutrition, especially if they were on medication.

In August, five mineworkers died after sections of a gold mine collapsed outside Johannesburg.

South Africa possesses rich mineral reserves and has some of the world's deepest gold mines.

Gold was for many decades the backbone of the economy, but production has declined sharply due to depletion of reserves. – AFP

We obviously are trying to get them out of there as soon as possible