News

Rescue Operation Underway for 260 Miners Trapped at Kloof Gold Mine

Published

3 months ago

May 23, 2025

zaghrah

Sourced: SABC News

A rescue operation is currently in progress at the Kloof gold mine, located west of Johannesburg, where 260 mine workers have been trapped underground for nearly 24 hours. The mining company Sibanye Stillwater confirmed the incident on Friday, noting that all workers have been accounted for and are safe.

What Went Wrong?

The trouble began when a malfunction occurred at one of the mine’s sub-shafts. According to Sibanye Stillwater, a skip door on the rock winder system unexpectedly opened at the loading station. This caused damage to the shaft and made it unsafe for workers to ascend to the surface.

Following an internal risk assessment, mine management made the decision to keep the employees at a secure underground sub-shaft station rather than attempting a difficult and potentially hazardous evacuation on foot through the mine’s long tunnels.

Union Raises Transparency Concerns

The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), which represents the trapped workers, has raised concerns about how the situation has been handled. “We are very concerned because the mine did not even make this incident public until we reported it to the media,” said NUM spokesperson Livhuwani Mammburu.

He added that the company had revised the estimated rescue time several times throughout the day, further fueling anxiety among workers’ families and union officials.

The Situation Underground

While the miners are currently safe and in a secure location underground, the delay in their retrieval has raised public concern. Sibanye Stillwater has stated that they expect to bring the workers to the surface safely by the end of the day.

“We are monitoring the situation closely and making sure every step taken prioritizes the safety of our workers,” the company said.

What’s Next?

As rescue teams work to restore safe passage to the surface, the focus remains on keeping the workers calm and ensuring that the hoisting system is fully operational before any attempt is made to bring them up.

This incident brings renewed attention to safety and communication practices within South Africa’s mining industry—still one of the country’s most hazardous sectors.

While the miners’ safety remains the top priority, both the company and the union face mounting pressure to improve transparency and emergency preparedness. For now, the country watches and waits for the safe return of all 260 workers from beneath the earth’s surface.