South Africa, diamond mine landslide: 5 miners trapped

Johannesburg (South Africa), Feb. 19 (LaPresse) – Five miners have been trapped deep in a South African diamond mine after a landslide flooded the shaft where they were working, according to mine officials and a union. The Congress of South African Trade Unions, an alliance that includes the main miners’ union, reported that the miners have been trapped since early Tuesday at around 800 meters underground. Howard Marsden, CEO of Ekapa Mining, which operates the mine, told national broadcaster SABC on Wednesday that rescuers were pumping water out of the shaft while another team tried to drill a hole at the point where the miners are believed to be trapped, to attempt communication or any sign of life. The mine is located in the central city of Kimberley, famous for its diamond mines and which became the heart of the global diamond industry after diamonds were discovered there in the late 1800s. The Minerals Council of South Africa stated in its annual safety report this month that last year 41 miners died in mining accidents in South Africa, a historic low compared to the hundreds of deaths per year recorded in the 1990s and early 2000s. South Africa is one of the world’s largest producers of diamonds and gold, as well as the leading producer of platinum.