Miners who were trapped underground at Sibanye's Kloof mine all safely rescued

All 260 miners who were trapped underground after an accident at Sibanye-Stillwater Kloof mine near Westonaria on Thursday have now resurfaced.

A shaft accident occurred at the company's Kloof sub-shaft on Thursday.

Sibanye-Stillwater confirmed the incident on Friday morning as it implemented safety and shaft examination procedures.

Sibanye confirmed in a statement issued on Friday night that all 260 workers had safely been brought to the surface.

The company said “mine rescue and medical teams were deployed promptly and measures were taken to ensure employees were safe and had access to food and water”.

“All affected employees will undergo thorough medical examinations, if required, while support has also been extended to employees’ families. Sibanye-Stillwater is engaging with the chief inspector of mines, the department of mineral resources & energy, and trade unions,” Sibanye said in the statement.

Operations will only resume once all safety and risk assessments are concluded and the shaft is deemed safe.

“Safety remains our core priority, and we will not resume operations until we are confident that all the necessary remedial actions have been implemented. I would like to thank our management, mine rescue, and medical teams for their dedication in ensuring that our colleagues returned safely to their families,” said Sibanye-Stillwater CEO Neal Froneman.

In an earlier statement, Sibanye said initial investigations showed that the Kloof 7 sub-shaft rock winder skip door had opened at the loading point on level 39, affecting levels 40 and 41 below.

“The open door of the skip caused some damage at level 35, and the work to make this safe has been completed,” it said.

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