London – Hundreds of workers remain underground in the Kloof Gold mine near Johannesburg after an “axis incident” occurred in the Sibanye Stillwater sub-team, the mining company based in South Africa said Friday.
“We are actively implementing our security and axis exam procedures,” said Sibanye-Stillwater in a statement. “Once they are completed, we will begin to raise employees.
A Sibanye-Stillwater spokesman clarified to ABC News that workers “are not trapped.” The company said in the statement that all affected employees are taken to the surface on Friday afternoon.
“After a detailed risk assessment, it was decided that employees should remain at the sub-team station until it is safe to proceed to the surface, to avoid walking long distances at this time,” said the company. “It is estimated that all affected employees will be taken to the surface around noon today.”
A general view of the Sibanye Stillwater mine, where efforts continue to rescue the workers of the mines trapped underground in one of their axes in the Kloof Gold mine, in Westonaria, Johannesburg, South Africa, May 23, 2025.
Scottourized We / Reuters
“The initial investigations show that the omission door of the Sub-Eje Kloof 7 rock winder opened at the load point at level 39, which impacts levels 40 and 41 below this point,” the company said. “The open door of the jump caused some damage to level 35, and the work to do this has been completed.”
This is a development story. Consult the updates again.
