JOHANNESBURG – South Africa’s Sibanye-Stillwater said on Tuesday about 1,800 miners might not be able to exit via one of its Rustenburg mine shafts due to possible damage and they might have to use another route.
The gold miner’s spokesman James Wellsted said rails, which were being transported down its Thembelani shaft via a conveyance, fell down the shaft at its platinum operations midday Tuesday.
The miners are safe with no serious injuries, Wellsted told the Press Association.
“We have to do a full shaft inspection, clear the rails if any have been stuck in the shaft and make sure there has been no significant damage to the steelwork,” Wellsted said.
If the shaft was damaged, Wellsted said, the workers who were being provided food and water, would have to exit via its Khuseleka shaft which was 4km away.
South Africa’s department of mineral resources said it had an inspector monitoring the situation at the mine.
The Associated of Mineworkers and Construction has expressed its concern.
The incident may revive concerns about safety at Sibanye, which last year experienced a spike in fatal accidents.
About 1,000 workers were also trapped underground for more than a day at one of its gold mines in February 2018 after a power failure.
Sibanye’s shares fell as much as 4.1% and traded 2.7% lower by 4.31PM on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange.
