Cape Town – The deaths of 11 workers at Impala Platinum Mine have raised the total fatalities from mining accidents this year to 52, surpassing last year’s figure of 49.
Impala Platinum said the “serious accident” happened on Monday in the late afternoon at its mine in Rustenburg, northwest of Johannesburg, as employees were leaving one of the shafts at the end of their shift, AFP reported.
The cage was carrying 86 mineworkers.
“Our hearts are heavy for the lives lost and the individuals affected by this devastating accident,” Impala Platinum’s (Implats) CEO, Nico Muller, said in a statement.
Rescue operations resulted in 11 deaths, with 10 individuals in critical condition and others sustaining minor injuries.
The incident has sparked concerns about worker safety in the mining industry, prompting the Mineral Resources Minister to acknowledge it as a setback in the government’s push for zero harm in mining, EWN reported.
[WATCH] “A worker has a right to refuse to enter a dangerous place.” – Mineral Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe addressing the media after the tragic accident at Impala Platinum mine where at least 11 mine workers died. #Newzroom405 pic.twitter.com/oq6PEGSlBp
— Newzroom Afrika (@Newzroom405) November 28, 2023
Minister of Mineral Resources, Gwede Mantashe, characterised this incident as a hindrance to the government’s endeavour to progress towards achieving zero harm in the mining sector.
“The mining industry is a difficult sector, it’s a dangerous sector, it’s a dirty sector and it’s a diseased sector. When we get into mining, you understand that,” the report quoted Mantashe as saying.
Meawhile, the president of the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union, Joseph Mathunjwa, criticised the government for not taking the issue of mineworker deaths seriously, noting that 41 breadwinners had been killed without anyone being charged.
Rescue operations at the Impala Platinum mine in Rustenburg, where 11 miners died, have been completed. AMCU President Joseph Mathunjwa says the accident could have been avoided. He adds that these incidents are caused by negligence.https://t.co/bizdfBttbZ pic.twitter.com/2Rnwu2jGOJ
— Newzroom Afrika (@Newzroom405) November 28, 2023
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
