All 1,800 workers who had been trapped at a Sibanye Gold Ltd. underground platinum mine in South Africa have been brought to the surface, the Department of Mineral Resources said in a tweet.
Sibanye Stillwater spokesperson James Wellsted revealed that supporting rails had fallen down a shaft, preventing workers from exiting.
“At about 13:00 today [Tuesday], some rails which were being transported underground at the Thembelani shaft, Rustenburg, whilst being slung under the conveyance, came loose and fell down the shaft,” read a Sibanye Stillwater statement.
No one was hurt in the initial accident or the rescue attempt.
The incident revives concerns about safety at Sibanye, which last year suffered a spike in fatal accidents at its gold mines. About 1,000 workers were also trapped underground for more than a day at one of the producer’s operations in February 2018 after a storm damaged power supplies in the area. South Africa, which is the world’s biggest platinum producer, has the deepest mines in the world.
