All 260 miners trapped underground for more than 24 hours at the Kloof gold mine in South Africa have been safely rescued, the mine’s operator, Sibanye-Stillwater, confirmed on Friday.
The miners became stranded on Thursday when a hoist system used to access the shaft was damaged in an accident. The incident occurred at the Kloof mine, located about 60 kilometres (37 miles) west of Johannesburg.
The rescue operation was carried out in two phases. The first group of 79 workers was brought to the surface by 1:30 p.m. local time, with the remaining miners rescued roughly six hours later.
“At no point was there any risk of injury to employees,” Sibanye-Stillwater said in a statement, explaining that emergency escape routes were not used as they would have required miners to walk long distances underground.
The mining company, listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, added that all rescued employees will undergo medical checks and that support has been extended to their families. Meanwhile, anxious relatives had gathered outside the mine throughout the rescue operation, according to local media reports.
The National Union of Mineworkers said the incident began around 10 a.m. on Thursday and raised concerns about the length of time the workers remained underground.
Though Sibanye-Stillwater insisted the miners were not “trapped” in the conventional sense, spokesperson Henrika Ninham said the decision was made to keep them at a sub-shaft station until safe extraction could be arranged.
South Africa has a long history of mining, employing hundreds of thousands in its gold, platinum, diamond, coal, and mineral sectors. While the industry has seen improvements in safety standards, accidents still occur. In 2024, 42 miners have died so far, down from 55 in 2023, according to the Minerals Council South Africa.
Sibanye-Stillwater CEO Neal Froneman said operations at the Kloof mine would remain suspended until all necessary safety measures are reviewed and remedial actions are completed.
