Rescue operations are currently underway at the Kloof gold mine in South Africa, where 289 workers are trapped underground.
The incident occurred at the Kloof 7 shaft, one of the company’s deepest mines, located around 60 km west of Johannesburg.
According to Sibanye Stillwater, the company operating the mine, the workers are safe and accounted for, and are being provided with food while safety procedures and shaft examinations are conducted.
The National Union of Mineworkers reported the incident happened at around 10 pm on Thursday. Sibanye Stillwater expects to resolve the situation by midday on Friday.
The mine, which operates at depths of approximately 3,200 meters, significantly complicates the rescue operation.
The union has expressed outrage at Sibanye’s delayed public disclosure of the situation.
