Harmony Gold shuts; rocked by miners’ deaths

Published on:

07 Feb 2014, 9:05 am

Harmony Gold shuts; rocked by miners' deaths

From Reuters

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – South Africa's Harmony Gold stopped all its operations for a 24-hour safety shift on Friday after at least eight workers were killed in a rock-fall and fire, the worst accident in South Africa's mines in nearly five years.

A miner looks on as a forensic pathology service vehicle leaves a shaft at Harmony Gold's Doornkop mine near Johannesburg February 6, 2014. Rescuers recovered eight bodies and continued to search for another missing worker on Thursday after a fire and rock-fall at a Harmony Gold mine near Johannesburg, the worst accident in South Africa's mines in nearly five years. Mineral Resources Minister Susan Shabangu ordered an investigation into the incident at the Doornkop mine, 30 km west (20 miles) of the city, after initial reports that the fire was triggered by a small earthquake on Tuesday evening. REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko (SOUTH AFRICA – Tags: BUSINESS EMPLOYMENT)

In addition to the accident at its Doornkop mine near Johannesburg, South Africa's third-largest bullion producer said two other workers had died in separate incidents at different mines on Thursday.

Mining Minister Susan Shabangu said the incidents showed that companies had to do more to improve safety in South Africa's mines. Despite safety improvements since the end of apartheid, more than 100 miners die on average each year.

"It's really an indictment on the safety in the mining industry, especially in Harmony," she told Johannesburg radiostation Power FM.

South Africa