Rescue operation: Sibanye starts hoisting stuck miners to the surface at Kloof shaft

Sibanye-Stillwater said on Friday 23 May that it had brought 79 miners to the surface at its Kloof operation near Westonaria by midday, and that the remaining 181 would be hoisted out after the safety assessment of the part of the shaft they need to ascend had been completed. 

The incident, which occurred late on Thursday, left 260 miners stranded underground at Kloof’s 7 shaft after the door of the conveyance cage used to haul the ore to the surface opened, resulting in spilled debris damaging the shaft. No injuries have been reported. 

“Sibanye-Stillwater can confirm that it has now commenced with the first phase of bringing employees to surface,” a spokesperson for the company said. 

Two-phase rescue

“The process is expected to be executed in two phases, and the first phase has successfully been completed by hoisting 79 employees (from level 31 and 35) to surface at 1.30pm CAT time today. Shaft examinations between 35 and 39 level are currently being completed where the remaining 181 employees (who are waiting at 39 level) are stationed.” 

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The employees still underground have been provided with food and will be brought to the surface after the shaft safety examination has been completed. 

Shaft 7 is a classic ultra-deep Witwatersrand gold operation. It is more than 3km deep and the incident underscores the hazards and engineering challenges of deep-level mining.   

In 2019, 1,800 miners were trapped underground at Sibanye’s Thembelani shaft in the platinum belt near Rustenburg, but all were safely brought to the surface with no injuries. DM