By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Impala Platinum on Tuesday temporarily halted operations at its Rustenburg mining complex in South Africa after 11 workers died and 75 were injured.
The incident occurred on Monday when an elevator bringing the workers back up to the surface malfunctioned, the mine’s operator said.
It is unclear how many people were underground at the time of the accident.
Impala Platinum spokesperson Johan Theron says the company will focus on mourning and communicating with the families of the affected workers.
“This is such an unusual incident. These convey systems in the shafts are used across South Africa and globally, and they have been declared safe, so this situation is very disturbing.
“We are in our early stages of initiating an investigation and there will be multiple levels by multiple people to completely understand what transpired. Not just for us, but for the broader mining industry to strive to cut out such incidents.”
The deaths at Rustenburg add to the 41 fatalities that had been recorded in South Africa’s mining industry this year so far. Last year, 49 workers died in South Africa’s mines, which was the lowest number of fatalities to date, Minerals Council South Africa, the industry lobby group, said.
Mineral Resources and Energy Minister, Gwede Mantashe is expected to visit Impala Platinum Mine in Rustenburg on Tuesday afternoon.
Meanwhile the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) says it is concerned about the safety of mineworkers.
“We have members at Triple M, Reagetswe, Platchro, Oteng and Newrack Mining. This incident is gravely concerning, and it raises a lot of questions about health and safety issues,” said NUMSA spokesperson Phakamile Hlubi-Majola.
“NUMSA dips its revolutionary red flag to mourn the loss of these workers. They are not just numbers; they are breadwinners, and they have households who love them and depend on them.”
The Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) President Joseph Mathunjwa says the accident could have been avoided. He adds that these incidents are caused by negligence.
Implats’ share price at midday on Tuesday was down over 7%, taking its decline in the year-to-date to over 63%.
Investors are increasingly concerned about safety – one of the key reasons for the strides on this front – and Implats’ overall safety record will now come into focus.