All 486 Mine Workers Safe After Underground Fire at South African Gold Mine
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Juan Bernal/iStock/Thinkstock(CARLETONVILLE, South Africa) — Nearly 500 mine employees have been brought up to the surface safely after an underground fire at a South Africa gold mine.
According to the Harmony Gold Mining Company Limited, all 486 workers who were underground at the time of the fire were brought above ground without incident. Graham Briggs, the company’s CEO, said in a statement that “we are extremely grateful that all of our colleagues have been brought to surface without injury.”
A company statement said that the fire is believed to have started during maintenance work on a bulk air cooler. Mine rescue teams were deployed underground to control the flames.
The Department of Mineral Resources and mine management will conduct a joint investigation into the cause of the fire.
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