Fire claims four lives at Implats’ Shaft 14

JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – The Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) has initiated an investigation after an underground fire at Impala Platinum’s (Implats’) Shaft 14, in Rustenburg, resulted in the death of four mineworkers over the weekend.

Implats on Friday initiated search and rescue operations after four employees were found to be missing following an evacuation of the shaft after a fire broke out in the main underground decline during the evening shift.

The company reported on Saturday that the bodies of the employees, who were believed to have been “overcome” by fumes, were found.

The cause of the fire was yet to be determined and Mineral Resources Minister Mosebenzi Zwane halted mining on the property until the DMR had declared the area safe for workers.

“We met earlier with the mine management to express our concern on health and safety and agreed that the investigation will assist all of us to understand exactly what transpired,” he said.

Efforts to extinguish the fire continued on Sunday and, while a full assessment of damage could only be determined once it was deemed safe, it seemed extensive damage had been caused to the conveyor, monorail, power and air reticulation systems.

“While gas readings continue to decrease in the underground working areas, they still remain dangerously high and power has not been restored to the bottom section of the shaft area,” Implats CEO Terence Goodlace explained.

The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) on Sunday voiced its concern over health and safety standards at the operations, particularly following two fatalities at the same shaft in December.

“As the NUM, we are deeply concerned about these fatalities happening at Implats. We call on the company to pull up its socks and improve its health and safety system,” NUM health and safety secretary Erick Gcilitshana said.

“Given the tragic loss and need to redouble our efforts to achieve zero harm, we have resolved to close the entire mine to engage the full workforce on our safety readiness and emergency awareness before contemplating reopening the Shaft 14 underground workings again,” Goodlace said.