Mineworkers suffer minor injuries at Implats ‘incident’

Platinum group metals miner Impala Platinum (Implats) says an incident happened at its 20 Shaft, in Rustenburg, in the early hours of Thursday morning, that resulted in some mineworkers being trapped underground.

While the mine has not confirmed the number of trapped mineworkers, Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) president Joseph Mathunjwa said in a statement that 18 mineworkers were believed to be trapped.

According to Mathunjwa, the cage skip rope snapped and trapped 9 mineworkers at Impala Platinum’s 20 Shaft. The rescue team then successfully brought the cage to surface, along with the 9 mineworkers.

However, some contract workers servicing the vacuum pumps underground could not come out and the rescue team would use the 12 Shaft escape route to bring them to surface, said Amcu.

“Amcu prays that the injured employees who are still underground come out on surface alive and well,” said Mathunjwa.

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