Rescue Underway for 289 Miners Trapped Underground at South Africa’s Kloof Gold Mine

By Staff, Agencies

Efforts are ongoing to rescue 289 miners trapped underground at the Kloof gold mine near Johannesburg, South African mining company Sibanye Stillwater announced on Friday.

The incident occurred at the Kloof 7 shaft, one of the company’s deepest operations, located approximately 60 kilometers west of Johannesburg.

According to a company spokesperson, all workers have been accounted for and are gathered safely at an underground assembly point. While the exact cause of the incident has not yet been disclosed, the company confirmed that safety checks and shaft inspections are underway. Food is being supplied to the trapped miners, and plans are in place to bring them to the surface as soon as the shaft is cleared.

“We expect the situation to be resolved by about midday today,” the spokesperson stated.

Mining incidents remain a concern in South Africa, home to some of the world’s oldest and deepest gold mines. Earlier this year, a separate tragedy occurred when at least 78 bodies were recovered from an illegal mine following a months-long blockade by authorities.

Sibanye Stillwater is one of the few mining firms still profitably extracting gold in the region. The company operates at depths reaching around 3,200 meters at the Kloof 7 shaft. The Kloof complex, which includes two additional shafts, contributes approximately 14% to Sibanye's total gold production.

The National Union of Mineworkers [NUM] reported that the incident took place around 10:00 p.m. local time on Thursday and said it is monitoring the situation closely.