Medical and rescue teams have safely brought 260 miners to the surface after they were trapped underground at Sibanye-Stillwater’s Kloof 7 shaft, about 37 miles west of Johannesburg.
The incident began Thursday when a sub-shaft rock winder skip door malfunctioned at the 39th level, damaging the hoisting system and affecting levels 35, 40, and 41 of the nearly 2-mile-deep shaft.
The miners were rescued in groups between 1:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. local time on Friday. While the company said there was no immediate risk of injury, South Africa’s National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) stated the workers were without food or water during the ordeal.
“Fortunately there were no fatalities or injuries. But for … 24 hours, people were not eating or drinking anything,” said NUM Health and Safety Chairperson Duncan Luvuno.
Sibanye-Stillwater has halted operations at the shaft and is reviewing safety with NUM and authorities.
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