Implats to cover burials of miners who died, pay for children’s studies

Impala Platinum (Implats) has confirmed that as of late Tuesday 75 employees involved in Monday's shaft accident remain hospitalised, 14 of whom are in critical condition.

Eleven miners were killed in Rustenburg in North West on Monday in an accident involving the conveyance transporting them to the surface from underground.

The accident happened shortly before 5pm. According to the company, the 11 shaft personnel conveyance was hoisting employees to the surface at the end of their shift.

“At 4.54pm, the conveyance unexpectedly started descending. Its rapid descent was stopped by the conveyance counterweight becoming trapped by the jack catches,” Implats said. 

All survivors were admitted to hospitals, some as a precautionary measure.

Implats CEO Nico Muller said all mining operations at Impala Rustenburg were proactively suspended on Tuesday.

“Operations at 11 shaft and 11c shaft will remain closed until all internal processes are complete. We are conducting these with officials from the department of mineral resources and energy.” 

Muller said the company will assist with the burials of those who lost their lives and continue to support their families.

“In accordance with our We Care programme, Implats will provide ongoing support to the families of the deceased and has set aside funds to cover their funerals.

“In addition to normal company funding, the group will financially support the children of our lost colleagues from birth through to the completion of their tertiary studies,” said Muller.

The company said while it has a strong understanding of what happened on Monday, they are investigating how it could have happened and the answer and other concerns may take time to accurately establish.

“Given that the lift was attached to the winder rope as it slipped, the lift was not in free fall and as a result the precise break force is not currently known.

“The mechanism used to operate the conveyance system and the safety protocols involved in arresting falls in such systems are known to be safe and are used in mining operations globally. The failure of the arrest safety protocol is therefore unusual, highlighting the tragic nature of this accident,” said Implats.

The company said it is working closely with the relevant authorities and will provide updates when possible and appropriate.

“Investigations into the incident will continue until all possible causes are identified and mitigating actions will be implemented group-wide to prevent another accident of this nature.

“Should any human error or negligence be found to have contributed to this tragedy, we will act firmly and decisively.”

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