Mineral resources minister Gwede Mantashe has called for vigilance on health and safety at mines following the rescue of 1 800 workers at Sibanye-Stillwater's Thembelani shaft at Rustenburg.
They were trapped underground at a Sibanye Gold platinum operation after an incident in the shaft, the company said.
"Despite strides made on health and safety thus far, we must not be complacent," Mantashe said in a statement from the department of mineral resources issued on Wednesday morning.
"We are committed to the goal of zero harm at work.
"Every worker must return home safe."
The department will begin a "comprehensive investigation" into the matter, the statement added.
In the early hours of Wednesday morning, the department confirmed that all the trapped miners had been brought to the surface, News24 reported.
The incident occurred when some rails being transported underground fell down the shaft and blocked it, said Sibanye spokesman James Wellsted on Tuesday.
Sibanye last year experienced a spike in fatal accidents.
About 1 000 workers were also trapped underground for more than a day at one of its gold mines in February 2018 after a power failure, Fin24 reported.
Yahoo!
Digg
del.icio.us
Facebook
