Johnathan Paoli
Eleven people have died and several sustained serious injuries at Impala Platinum Mine in Rustenburg, North West following a tragic incident on Monday night when a rope connected to a cage allegedly snapped.
Preliminary reports indicated that the rope might have snapped, leaving the cage to drop uncontrollably for a distance of approximately 200m, said Implats spokesperson Johan Theron.
The safety incident involved a winder rope that connects a miner’s cage comprising three levels with capacity to convey 35 people per level through the shaft and Theron confirmed that investigations into the incident were underway.
Paramedics and rescue teams were immediately mobilised and according to Implats the teams accessed underground workings and cleared the two upper levels of the conveyance in order to vacate the lower level.
Theron said 88 workers were involved in the incident at its No. 11 platinum mining shaft and although 77 have been rescued, eleven miners had tragically succumbed to their injuries.
The spokesperson said that Implats remained dedicated to providing all possible support for those involved and that the safety of their employees was paramount to the company.
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