Latest news with #NealFroneman
Daily Express
25-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Express
South Africa rescues all 260 miners stuck underground
Published on: Sunday, May 25, 2025 Published on: Sun, May 25, 2025 Text Size: Some of the resurfaced 260 employees stuck underground sit inside a bus as they leave the South Africa's Sibanye Stillwater's Kloof 7 sub-shaft in Westonaria. WESTONARIA: Rescuers 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 kilometres (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 pm (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. Advertisement '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 10am (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'. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
The Herald
24-05-2025
- Business
- The Herald
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. TimesLIVE
The Citizen
24-05-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
All 260 trapped workers at Kloof Mine rescued safely
Sibanye-Stillwater has confirmed that all 260 mine workers trapped underground at its Kloof 7 shaft in Gauteng have been brought safely to the surface following a shaft incident that occurred on Thursday. The incident was caused by a malfunction in the skip door of the rock winder at the level 39 loading point, which impacted levels 40, 41, and below. While the mechanical failure disrupted normal operations, the company emphasized that there was no immediate risk of injury to personnel, Carletonville Herald reports. Following thorough safety inspections and shaft integrity assessments, the rescue began in phases. The first group of employees surfaced around 13:30 on Friday, with the final group returning safely by 19:30. 'To ensure worker safety, employees remained at their underground stations instead of using emergency escape routes, which would have involved lengthy walking distances,' said James Wellsted, Sibanye-Stillwater's spokesperson. 'Rescue teams ensured they had access to food, water, and medical support.' All affected employees will undergo medical evaluations, and support is being extended to their families. The company is actively engaging with the Chief Inspector of Mines, the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE), and relevant trade unions to determine the next steps. Operations at the Kloof 7 shaft will remain suspended until all remedial actions are completed and the site is confirmed safe for work. 'Safety remains our core priority, and we will not resume operations until we are confident all risks have been addressed,' said Neal Froneman, CEO of Sibanye-Stillwater. 'I commend our management, mine rescue, and medical teams for their commitment in bringing our colleagues home safely.' Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel. Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal. Read original story on At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
LeMonde
23-05-2025
- Business
- LeMonde
South Africa rescues all 260 miners stuck underground alive
Rescuers on Friday, May 23, 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 pm (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 am (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 mine workers 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."
Int'l Business Times
23-05-2025
- General
- Int'l Business Times
South Africa Rescues All 260 Miners Stuck Underground Alive
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 kilometres (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 pm (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 am (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". Rescued miners left the site on a bus AFP
