South Africa rescues all 260 miners stuck underground alive
WESTONARIA, South Africa: Rescuers on Friday pulled out all 260 mine workers who had been stuck for more than 24 hours in an underground shaft in South Africa, the mine's operator said.
The miners were trapped underground on Thursday at the Kloof gold mine, 60 kilometers (37 miles) west of Johannesburg, after a hoist used to access the shaft was damaged in an accident, the mining company Sibanye-Stillwater said.
The first phase of the rescue brought 79 people to the surface by 1:30 p.m. (1130 GMT) while the rest were rescued six hours later, it said in a statement.
'At no point was there any risk of injury to employees during the incident,' it said. A decision had been made against using the emergency escape routes which would have involved the miners walking longer distances, it added.
The gold mine is one of the deepest operated by the Johannesburg Stock Exchange-listed company.
Desperate relatives of the miners waited outside the site during the rescue efforts, most of them expressing shock at the incident, local television footage showed.
'All affected employees will also undergo thorough medical examinations, if required, while support has also been extended to employees' families,' the mining company said.
The National Union of Mineworkers said the incident happened around 10:00 a.m. (0800 GMT) on Thursday. It expressed concern for the miners who had been 'underground for almost 20 hours.'
Sibanye-Stillwater had said earlier that the miners would be brought to the surface around midday Friday.
'The employees are not trapped; it was decided to keep them at the sub-shaft station for now,' spokesperson Henrika Ninham said.
Mining employs hundreds of thousands of people in South Africa, which is the biggest exporter of platinum and a major exporter of gold, diamonds, coal and other raw materials. But accidents are common.
Dozens of mineworkers are killed each year, though the numbers have been falling as safety standards have been stepped up over the past two decades.
According to industry group Minerals Council South Africa, 42 miners died in 2024, compared to 55 the previous year.
Sibanye-Stillwater chief executive Neal Froneman said Friday they would not resume operations 'until we are confident that all the necessary remedial actions have been implemented.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arab News
8 hours ago
- Arab News
54 migrants rescued from Mediterranean oil platform
ROME: Over 50 migrants were headed to the Italian island of Lampedusa on Sunday after a charity ship rescued them from an abandoned oil platform in the Mediterranean, where one woman gave birth. The vessel Astral, operated by the Spain-based NGO Open Arms, rescued the 54 people, the group said in a statement. The migrants had been trapped on the oil platform for three days after their rubber boat shipwrecked following their departure from Libya on Tuesday, Open Arms said. On Friday, one of the migrants gave birth to a boy, while another woman had given birth days before. Two other young children were among the group, Open Arms said. Later Sunday, the charity said that, following the rescue of those on the oil platform, the Astral came upon another 109 people, including four people in the water. That group, which included 10 children, had also departed from Libya, it said. Open Arms said they provided life jackets to the migrants before they were rescued by another charity ship, the Louise Michel, which street artist Banksy sponsors. The Louise Michel, a former French navy vessel, was transporting the migrants to a safe port in Sicily, Open Arms said. It is not unusual for migrants crossing the Mediterranean on leaky and overcrowded boats to seek refuge on offshore oil platforms. As of June 1, some 23,000 migrants had reached Italy by sea this year, according to the UN Refugee Agency UNHCR.
Asharq Al-Awsat
11 hours ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
54 Migrants Rescued from Mediterranean Oil Platform
Over 50 migrants were headed to the Italian island of Lampedusa Sunday after a charity ship rescued them from an abandoned oil platform in the Mediterranean, where one woman gave birth. The vessel Astral, operated by the Spain-based NGO Open Arms, rescued the 54 people overnight, the group said in a statement. The migrants had been trapped on the oil platform for three days after their rubber boat shipwrecked following their departure from Libya on Tuesday, Open Arms said. On Friday, one of the migrants gave birth to a boy, while another woman had given birth days before. Two other young children were among the group, Open Arms said, according to AFP. Later Sunday, the charity said that, following the rescue of those on the oil platform, the Astral came upon another 109 people, including four people in the water. That group, which included 10 children, had also departed from Libya, it said. Open Arms said they provided life jackets to the migrants before they were rescued by another charity ship, the Louise Michel, which is sponsored by street artist Banksy. The Louise Michel, a former French navy vessel, was transporting the migrants to a safe port in Sicily, Open Arms said. It is not unusual for migrants crossing the Mediterranean on leaky and overcrowded boats to seek refuge on offshore oil platforms. As of June 1, some 23,000 migrants had reached Italy by sea this year, according to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).
Arab News
3 days ago
- Arab News
Honoring South Africa's Islamic heritage through Hajj
I had the honor of welcoming the first wave of pilgrims from South Africa who entered the Kingdom to embark on the sacred journey of Hajj on April 29. Prior to their departure, as they bade farewell to their families and loved ones, I knew they carried with them an overwhelming realization that this was nothing but an invitation, a privilege, and a blessing bestowed by the Almighty. With that reflection also came the awareness that they are now part of millions from around the world, united in a sacred rite that Prophet Muhammad undertook during his blessed life. For me, the honor of welcoming these pilgrims — and later spending time with them from Madinah to Aziziya (where South African pilgrims reside before the five blessed days), to the camps in Mina, through Muzdalifah, the stoning at the Jamarat, and finally the sanctity and majesty of Arafat — is profound. Profound in the sense that it gives me personal pause to reflect on the gift of Islam that reached the shores of the Cape of Good Hope in the 17th century. This gift was, in and of itself, instrumental in shaping many key developments in South Africa — not least the foundations of a language often assumed to have originated solely with Dutch settlers. In fact, there is ample historical evidence that slaves and political prisoners — most of them Muslim and brought by the Dutch from the Malay Archipelago — carried with them wisdom and knowledge. Through this knowledge, wisdom, and interaction with local communities and other enslaved peoples, they helped form a patois that would later evolve into what we now formally recognize as Afrikaans, a language widely spoken throughout South Africa and Namibia. Allow me to share a personal anecdote. Around the age of 20, an elder from my community came to test my ability to read fusha Arabic (classical Arabic). I struggled to understand the passage he showed me — until he pointed something out. He told me, in our mother tongue, Afrikaans, that I was reading one of the earliest records of Afrikaans written in Arabic script (similar documents are preserved in archives to this day). That moment left an indelible mark on me. It reminded me of how the Hijrah of the Prophet shaped not only the Arab world but also global communities as far as the southernmost tip of Africa. The point is that the beauty of South Africa's diversity is well known — and hard-won. Many fought for that diversity to be embedded in the DNA of what shapes our country today. As a descendant of those who, through Islam, helped shape our diverse cultural landscape, I am deeply humbled to represent my country in welcoming our pilgrims to Saudi Arabia — and to spend time with them during this sacred journey. On behalf of President Cyril Ramaphosa, the government of South Africa, and Ambassador Mogobo David Magabe, I wish to acknowledge the thoughtful measures taken by Saudi Arabia to ensure a spiritually uplifting and logistically smooth Hajj. We further commend the Kingdom for its continued commitment to serving the global Muslim community. The operational role entrusted to Saudi Arabia's Minister of Hajj and Umrah Tawfiq Al-Rabiah is already bringing ease and reassurance to pilgrims, even before they reach Mina. Equally important is the vital role played by all those working behind the scenes to support the South African pilgrim experience, including community-based organizations such as the South African Hajj and Umrah Council, and the Mashaariq in Saudi Arabia. In conversations with South Africans already in the Kingdom, it is clear that initiatives such as early restrictions on entry into Makkah and Madinah are easing pressure and enhancing the journey in meaningful ways. It is equally important for South African pilgrims to remember that in every action — whether in prayer, in queues, in transport, or in how we treat others — we represent our country. Let our conduct reflect the spirit of ubuntu, the belief that our humanity is bound to one another, and be worthy of the welcoming and tolerant identity that so many fought for us to uphold and protect. To all the pilgrims, and especially those whom I have yet to meet in person, I wish you a Hajj Maqbool and Hajj Mabroor, Insha'Allah. • Imran Simmins is the acting consul general for the South African Consulate in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
