42 miners still underground after Goldfields mine collapses
The chief executive of Vantage Goldfields mine in South Africa's northeastern Mpumalanga province said on Friday that about 115 workers had been trapped after one its mines collapsed, but most had been rescued."As we speak they might already all be out. Most have been evacuated," Chief Executive Mike McChesney told Reuters. Some 76 mine workers have been brought to the surface, a police spokesman said.Another 42 people were still unaccounted for, spokesman Selvy Mohlala said.South Africa's mines are the deepest and among the most dangerous in the world.Manzini Zungu, spokesman for the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU), said some 115 union members were trapped underground after a cave-in at the Makonjwaan Gold Mine in Barberton, Mpumalanga province, at 8:40 a.m.."At this point it's unclear what caused the disaster," he saidThe mine is located about 360 km east of Johannesburg.Fatalities in the industry have been falling due to both improved safety practises and a reduction in the labour force as production declines.Last year, 77 workers were killed in mining accidents, the lowest number on record...
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