Sibanye-Stillwater reports two mine fatalities at Kloof, third miner missing

TWO miners lost their lives whilst looking for a third who is still missing, said Sibanye-Stillwater, the gold and platinum group metals (PGMs) mining firm.

The mines passed away on Sunday evening whilst conducting search operations at Kloof Thuthukani shaft, west of Johannesburg.

An employee was reported missing on Sunday morning when he did not return to the station with his team after completing routine repairs in a haulage.

“The deceased employees were part of a six-person proto team who were conducting search and rescue operations in a raise line in the area where the employee was reported as missing,” said Sibanye-Stillwater today. “Based on information available, the two employees were overcome by heat during the search.”

The search for the missing employee continues and further details will be provided as soon as possible. The cause of these incidents will be investigated once the search and rescue operation is concluded, the company said.

Sibanye-Stillwater has reported a 45% improvement in the gold mines’ total injury frequency rate between 2012 and 2020, but it continues to lose lives at the mines. The fatal injury frequency rate was zero in 2019 before increasing to 0.06 in 2020. The rate was at 0.11 this year before today’s announcement.