[miningmx.com] — A miner has died at the Marikana platinum mine in Rustenburg, in the North West, mining company Lonmin Plc said on Tuesday.
“Lonmin Plc regrets to announce that in the early hours of Tuesday April 12 the company suffered a fatality at its E1 shaft at its Marikana operations,” the company’s chief executive officer Ian Farmer said.
In a statement he said the accident followed a fatality last week at K3 shaft and brings the total fatal accidents for this financial year to six.
“This performance is unacceptable and particularly upsetting since it follows the one day stoppage on March 30 that management declared for all Marikana operations to enable employees and the company collectively to review and re-affirm its commitment to zero harm.”
Farmer said management decided to cease production at its mining division on Thursday April 14 to conduct underground working place safety audits which would be lead by the Lonmin senior leadership team.
The audits would be followed by a memorial service for the deceased in the afternoon.
“Lonmin is committed to zero harm and will relentlessly continue to take whatever action is necessary in pursuit of this goal,” Farmer said.
