Sibanye-Stillwater Rescues 260 Miners After Hoist Incident

Sibanye-Stillwater initiated a rescue operation Friday to safely extract 260 miners trapped underground after a hoist system malfunction at its Kloof gold mine. The incident occurred Thursday evening in a shaft 60 kilometers west of Johannesburg. Despite being underground, all miners were reported safe.

The workers, initially counted as 289, were gathered at a sub-shaft station and provided with food as they awaited extraction efforts scheduled for Friday afternoon. The company confirmed its priority remained the safety of its miners, stating the decision to keep them underground was based on safety precautions.

Sibanye, noted for operating some of the deepest gold mines globally, extracts gold from depths reaching approximately 3,200 meters. This incident highlights South Africa's ongoing mining safety challenges, a region well-known for frequent and severe mining accidents.

(With inputs from agencies.)