11 killed in platinum mine lift crash in South Africa
Eleven people were killed and 75 injured when an elevator transporting workers to the ground at a giant South African platinum mine lost control, mine managers said on Tuesday.
Impala Platinum said the “catastrophic accident” occurred at its Rustenburg mine in northwest Johannesburg on Monday as more than 80 employees were leaving the shaft at the end of their shift.
The company said the alert was issued just before 5pm (3pm Japan time) after the elevator “unexpectedly began descending.”
“Its rapid descent was halted when the transport counterweight became lodged in the jack catch,” it said in a statement.
Jack Catch is a safety system intended to stop elevators and subways from backing up in the event of an accident.
“Our hearts go out to the lives lost and those affected by this devastating accident,” Impala Platinum CEO Nico Muller said in a statement. It’s heavy,” he said.
“We are deeply shocked and saddened by the loss of our colleague and are in the process of ensuring that all next of kin are contacted.”
The company said 75 employees were injured and taken to local hospitals for treatment.
Implats spokesman Johan Sellon told AFP that some were seriously injured, most with broken ankles and legs, and others with minor abrasions.
The rescue operation has been completed and all 86 employees involved have been confirmed safe, it added.
– “Incredibly difficult times” –
Implats said all operations at the mine were suspended on Tuesday as an investigation into the accident continued.
“Implats provides continued support to the families and colleagues of our fallen soldiers,” Miller said. “During this incredibly difficult time, we also remember our injured colleagues.”
South Africa is one of the world’s leading platinum producers.
Mining accidents are common in South Africa, where hundreds of thousands of people work in the industry.
South Africa has the world’s deepest mines and is a major exporter of gold, diamonds, coal and other raw materials.
Many deep mines have lifts that can carry more than 100 people at a time.
Dozens of miners are killed each year, but that number has declined over the past two decades as safety standards have tightened.
According to government statistics, about 50 people died from mining in 2022.
In 2021, one of the shafts at the same Rustenburg Implats mine was hit by a landslide, killing several miners.
More than 430 coal miners died in the 1960 Colebrook disaster.
Source: guardian.ng