Two miners were killed and five others were still missing underground after an earthquake hit the Masakhane gold mine west of Johannesburg, the Sibanye-Stillwater company said on Thursday.
Thirteen miners were initially trapped about 3km below the surface but rescuers managed to get several out, company spokesperson James Wellsted told AFP. One of the miners later died from his injuries.
EWN reported that a second miner died at the mine as rescue operations continue.
"The epicentre (of the quake) was very close to where the miners were working," Wellsted said.
According to reports, it was a magnitude 2.2 earthquake.
Eight miners remain underground, the company said. Three have been located but five are missing.
Cosatu said it was "alarmed by the deteriorating and poor safety record of Sibanye Stillwater mining company".
In February, nearly 1 000 miners were trapped underground for 30 hours following a power cut caused by a storm in another mine owned by Sibanye-Stillwater.
A few days later, two miners were killed after ground collapsed at a mine also belonging to the group.
Prayers go out to the miners that are trapped underground. Driefontein Mine : Masakhane Shaft
— NOKUTHULA MFUBESI (@4EVA_NOK2ULA) May 3, 2018
8 miners still trapped underground at Sibanye-Stillwater's Masakhane mine in Westonaria says #NUM @deptoflabour @GovernmentZA @SABCNewsOnline @POWER987News @IndustriALL_GU #decentwork #safety @CapricornFMNews @CapeTalk @Radio2000ZA @Radio702 pic.twitter.com/JjOU1i3Sqh
— @COSATU Today (@_cosatu) May 3, 2018
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