Nine workers are still missing underground at Doornkop Mine after a seismic event last night.

Press Statement, 04 February 2014

Nine workers are still missing underground at Doornkop Mine after a seismic event last night.

The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) is extremely worried that nine workers are still missing underground after a seismic event that took place at Doornkop Mine last night during a night shift.

Doornkop Mine is a Harmony operation in the Gauteng Province.

The seismic event was measured at 2.4 magnitude. It resulted in the collapse of underground rocks which caused damage to ventilation pipes, electric cables and water pipes.

The damage to electric cables triggered fire underground which is still burning.

Eight workers were rescued this morning and the rescue teams are still searching for nine workers who are still missing or trapped underground.

"We pray for those workers who are still missing to come out healthy and alive.
We appeal to the rescue teams to do their best to fast track the operation of searching especially that the compressed air and water pipes are affected," said Erick Gcilitshana, NUM Health and Safety Secretary.

We call for an urgent investigation to the root cause of the seismic event as we know that technology to actively monitor the build up of seismicity is available.

We hope for the best to those workers who are still missing.

For more information, please contact

Livhuwani Mammburu: (Acting NUM National Spokesperson )-083 809 3257

Erick Gcilitshana-(NUM Health and Safety Secretary)-082 809 3105

The National Union of Mineworkers
7 Rissik Street.
Cnr Frederick Johannesburg
Tel: 011 377 2111 Cell: 083 809 3257
Twitter: @Num_Media

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/NUM/100860023402167