11 workers die as elevator in South African mine plunges 656 ft
Calling it the 'darkest day in the history' of Impala Platinum Holdings, CEO Nico Muller said an investigation had begun into what caused the elevator to drop
An elevator suddenly dropped around 200 metres (656 feet) while carrying workers to the surface in a platinum mine in South Africa, killing 11 of them and injuring 75, it was announced on Tuesday (November 28).
The tragedy happened on Monday evening at the end of the workers' shift at a mine in the northern city of Rustenburg.
CEO Nico Muller said in a statement that it was “the darkest day in the history” of the Impala Platinum Holdings or Implats. He said an investigation had begun into what caused the elevator to drop. The mine suspended all operations on Tuesday.
All the injured workers were hospitalised. Some of them had “serious compact fractures”, company spokesman Johan Theron said.
South Africa is the world's largest producer of platinum. Deaths from South African mining accidents have steadily decreased in the last two decades, from nearly 300 in 2000, according to South African government figures.
(With agency inputs)