Yesterday Impala Platinum reported that 11 employees lost their lives in a serious accident at Impala Rustenburg’s 11 Shaft at 16:54 on Monday 27 November.
A further 75 employees were injured in the accident and were transferred and admitted for treatment to four hospitals in the region. The mine rescue operation is complete, and all 86 employees are accounted for. This was largely due to a combined response from several other mining operations.
“The immediate assistance that Minerals Council South Africa member companies gave to Impala Platinum was impeccable, with more than 15 Proto Teams deployed to 11 Shaft,” says Japie Fullard, Chair of the Minerals Council’s CEO Zero Harm Forum. In addition, all available ambulances from other mining operations were sent to the mine to transport the injured employees to nearby hospitals, with paramedics deployed to give medical assistance.
In a country that hosts most the world’s deepest underground mines hundreds of elite Mines Rescue Services team members risk their lives to react to emergency situations.
In a statement issued by Impala Platinum, CEO Nico Muller described the event as the darkest day in the history of the company. “We are grateful to all the proto and rescue teams for their tireless and courageous efforts to rescue our 11 Shaft team members. We value the efforts of all stakeholders coming together in this extremely difficult time, particularly the emergency responders.”
The mining industry had recorded 41 fatalities in the year to date by Friday, 24 November 2023, compared to 44 the same period a year earlier. “This is a terrible blow to our ambition of ending 2023 with fewer fatalities than last year when there were 49 fatalities, the lowest on record, and the continuation of our journey towards zero harm,” says Mzila Mthenjane, CEO of the Minerals Council.
The Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy, Gwede Mantashe, has also visited the shaft and received a briefing on what transpired. The reports are that 86 mineworkers were in a conveyance cage when the accident occurred. “This is a disaster will require a thorough investigation in line with the Mine Health and Safety Act. It has dented our efforts to move to zero harm. We will continue investing in improving mine health and safety so that people must go to work and come back alive,” highlights Mantashe.
Joseph Mathunjwa the president of the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union, which is the only recognised trade union at the Impala Mine, says the government did not take seriously the deaths of mineworkers.
A few of the biggest mining accidents and rescue efforts from the past 92 years include:
Contact Us
VUKA is the trusted media partner to key professionals, policy makers, suppliers and
manufacturers. We provide unparalleled opportunities for industry-wide connection.