Kloof miners returned to surface safely, says Sibanye-Stillwater

ALL 260 workers trapped underground at Sibanye-Stillwater’s Kloof gold mine since Thursday have been returned to surface, the company said.The incident at the Kloof 7 mine began when a skip door on the rock winder opened unexpectedly at the loading point on Level 39, affecting operations on Levels 40, 41 and below. The malfunction left workers stranded underground whilst comprehensive safety inspections were carried out.The first group of miners was brought to the surface at 1.30pm South African time on Friday, with the remaining employees safely rescued by approximately 7.30pm. At no point during the incident were workers at risk of injury, the company said.Mine rescue and medical teams were deployed immediately to ensure the safety of all personnel, with food and water provided to workers whilst they remained at their underground stations. Sibanye-Stillwater said it decided to keep employees in place rather than use emergency escape routes which would have required lengthy walks through the mine workings.“Safety remains our core priority, and we will not resume operations until we are confident that all the necessary remedial actions have been implemented,” said Sibanye-Stillwater CEO Neal Froneman in a statement.All affected employees will undergo thorough medical examinations if required, whilst support has been extended to their families.Operations at the mine will remain suspended until the shaft is deemed safe for workers to return. Safety and risk assessments are being done in cooperation with Government’s Chief Inspector of Mines, the Department of Mineral & Petroleum Resources, and unions.The post Kloof miners returned to surface safely, says Sibanye-Stillwater appeared first on Miningmx.Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Mining.com Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Mining.com