Rescuers have brought 79 miners to the surface after an accident stranded more than 260 underground at a South African gold mine.
The incident occurred Thursday morning at the Kloof gold mine, around 60 kilometres west of Johannesburg, when a hoist system suffered damage.
By early Friday afternoon, Sibanye-Stillwater, the mine’s operator, confirmed that 79 miners had been safely evacuated in the first phase of the rescue.
Over 100 workers remain underground, though the company assured they are safe, supplied with food, and awaiting a shaft safety inspection.
Company spokesperson Henrika Ninham stressed that the miners are not trapped but are being held at a sub-shaft station as a precaution.
Outside the mine, anxious families gathered, their hopes pinned on the rescue teams working against time and tension.
The National Union of Mineworkers voiced concern, noting the miners had been underground for nearly 20 hours by Thursday night.
South Africa’s mining sector, one of the nation’s economic backbones, remains prone to industrial accidents despite improved safety protocols.
Kloof is one of the deepest mines operated by Sibanye-Stillwater, a company with a vast footprint in the global precious metals industry.
Mining has long been a lifeline in the region, employing hundreds of thousands, but the dangers remain real and recurrent.
In 2024, 42 miners died in work-related incidents across the country, down from 55 the year before, according to the Minerals Council.
Friday’s ongoing rescue effort serves as a sobering reminder of the industry’s perilous conditions and the lives entwined within.