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Trapped SA miners emerge slowly Hundreds freed in SA mine drama
(about 4 hours later)
Rescuers are slowly bringing to the surface thousands of workers trapped for hours in a South African gold mine. More than 2,000 exhausted South African gold miners have been rescued from deep underground after they were trapped by a power cable accident.
More than 3,000 men became trapped 2.2km (1.4 miles) underground when a broken pipe severed power cables to a lift early on Wednesday. About 850 miners are still waiting to be lifted to safety after Wednesday's accident, which left them 2.2km (1.4 miles) underground.
By midday (1000GMT) some 2,000 had been freed from the Elandsrand mine, 80km (50 miles) west of Johannesburg. Rescuers are confident all miners will emerge from Elandsrand mine, 80km (50 miles) from Johannesburg.
Some workers have been underground for 36 hours, since starting night shifts on Tuesday evening. Some Tuesday night shift workers have been underground for 40 hours.
Minerals and Energy Minister Buyelwa Sonjica, who has visited the mine, said it would be closed for six weeks to ensure it was safe to continue operations.
'Room for improvement'
The miners are being brought out through a small shaft normally used for mining equipment, and only 75 can be hauled clear at a time: no more than 300 in an hour.The miners are being brought out through a small shaft normally used for mining equipment, and only 75 can be hauled clear at a time: no more than 300 in an hour.
Each group of miners was greeted with shouts of joy and whistling, the South African Press Association (Sapa) reports.Each group of miners was greeted with shouts of joy and whistling, the South African Press Association (Sapa) reports.
'Room for improvement' class="bodl" href="#graphic">Graphic of mine rescue
"I just want to tell my family that I'm okay," miner Thabang Mokhethi, 40, told Sapa as he emerged."I just want to tell my family that I'm okay," miner Thabang Mokhethi, 40, told Sapa as he emerged.
The accident at the mine, owned by Harmony Gold Mining, happened at about 1000 (0800 GMT) on Wednesday morning.The accident at the mine, owned by Harmony Gold Mining, happened at about 1000 (0800 GMT) on Wednesday morning.
Minerals and Energy Minister Buyelwa Sonjica visited the mine, greeting some of the miners as they emerged and said the government wanted to "tighten up" mine safety laws. Ms Sonjica greeted some of the miners as they emerged and said the government wanted to "tighten up" mine safety laws.
"I wouldn't call it a crisis given that mining is risky in its nature, so incidents of this kind will occur, but I still think there is room for improvement and to reduce accidents in the mines," Ms Sonjica said. name="text"> "I wouldn't call it a crisis given that mining is risky in its nature, so incidents of this kind will occur, but I still think there is room for improvement and to reduce accidents in the mines," Ms Sonjica said.
No serious injuries have been reported. ELANDSRAND GOLD MINE Elandsrand mine has 6.9 million ounces of proven reservesLocated 80km (50 miles) west of JohannesburgIt has two vertical shafts - a men/material shaft and a rock/ventilation shaftA new mine, to be finished by 2010, is being built under the existing mine, which is still in useHarmony Gold Mining bought the mine in 2001 class="" href="/1/hi/in_pictures/7027790.stm">In pictures: Mine rescue
class="bodl" href="#graphic">Graphic of mine rescue She also complained that she and President Thabo Mbeki had not been informed of the accident by the company and learned of it from the evening news.
No serious injuries have been reported, although there were cases of cramp and dehydration.
"All the miners are okay," National Union of Mineworkers spokesman Lesiba Seshoka told the BBC News website."All the miners are okay," National Union of Mineworkers spokesman Lesiba Seshoka told the BBC News website.
"We have provided them with some food and water. We are told by those coming out that they are looking forward to getting out. They are getting impatient,but they are confident they will all come out alive." "We have provided them with some food and water. We are told by those coming out that they are looking forward to getting out. They are getting impatient but they are confident they will all come out alive."
The miners were trapped in a cramped space where temperatures could reach 30-40C (86-104 Fahrenheit).The miners were trapped in a cramped space where temperatures could reach 30-40C (86-104 Fahrenheit).
ELANDSRAND GOLD MINE Elandsrand mine has 6.9 million ounces of proven reservesLocated 80km (50 miles) west of JohannesburgIt has two vertical shafts - a men/material shaft and a rock/ventilation shaftA new mine, to be finished by 2010, is being built under the existing mine, which is still in useHarmony Gold Mining bought the mine in 2001 In pictures: Mine rescue
Sethiri Thibile, one of the first miners to be rescued, had been underground since 0500 on Wednesday.Sethiri Thibile, one of the first miners to be rescued, had been underground since 0500 on Wednesday.
"I was hungry, though we were all hungry," he told the Associated Press news agency."I was hungry, though we were all hungry," he told the Associated Press news agency.
"Most of the people are scared," he said."Most of the people are scared," he said.
A spokeswoman for the mining company, Amelia Soares, told the BBC that paramedics had reached the miners and that none had been injured in the accident. A spokeswoman for the mining company, Amelia Soares, said the bottom of the shaft where they were trapped was well ventilated, and that the miners had access to water.
She said the bottom of the shaft where they are trapped was well ventilated, and that the miners had access to water.
Maintenance questionedMaintenance questioned
Ms Soares said a compressed pipe column fell down the mineshaft, damaging steel work in the shaft and cutting electrical cords connected to the lifts underground.Ms Soares said a compressed pipe column fell down the mineshaft, damaging steel work in the shaft and cutting electrical cords connected to the lifts underground.
The NUM said the mine shafts had not been properly maintained.The NUM said the mine shafts had not been properly maintained.
"Our guys there tell us that they have raised concerns about the whole issue of maintenance of shafts with the mine, but they have not been attended to," Lesiba Seshoka told the Associated Press news agency."Our guys there tell us that they have raised concerns about the whole issue of maintenance of shafts with the mine, but they have not been attended to," Lesiba Seshoka told the Associated Press news agency.
He said South Africa's mines have a poor safety record, with about 200 workers said to have been killed in accidents in each of the last two years.He said South Africa's mines have a poor safety record, with about 200 workers said to have been killed in accidents in each of the last two years.
The Elandsrand mine is in the Witwatersrand Basin, which holds the world's largest gold deposit. Gold is important to South Africa's economy, says the BBC's Peter Biles in Johannesburg, although the industry has been in decline in recent years.The Elandsrand mine is in the Witwatersrand Basin, which holds the world's largest gold deposit. Gold is important to South Africa's economy, says the BBC's Peter Biles in Johannesburg, although the industry has been in decline in recent years.
ELANDSRAND MINE ACCIDENT 1 45m chunk of piping breaks away near mine surface2 It damages steelwork and severs electrical cables as it falls down the 2.2km shaft3 Miners move from bottom of Men and Material shaft to adjacent Rock and Ventilation shaft4 Other miners working at about 2.6km join stranded colleagues5 They are raised to the surface via a hand-winding system Return to storyELANDSRAND MINE ACCIDENT 1 45m chunk of piping breaks away near mine surface2 It damages steelwork and severs electrical cables as it falls down the 2.2km shaft3 Miners move from bottom of Men and Material shaft to adjacent Rock and Ventilation shaft4 Other miners working at about 2.6km join stranded colleagues5 They are raised to the surface via a hand-winding system Return to story