Local platinum producer, Impala Platinum Mine (Implats), has said that it is too early to assess the effect on its production of a fire which occurred underground at the company’s Rustenburg mine last Friday evening.
Implats said in a statement yesterday that the detailed investigation to assess the cause of the fire – in which four miners lost their lives – was ongoing. The fire has reportedly been extinguished and the six rescue and assessment teams, which are working in the lower reaches of the mine where the fire started, are clearing residual smoke in certain areas.
According to Implats, the system shows that the upper section of the mine is clear, but power has not as yet been restored to the bottom section of the shaft area.
Implats CEO, Terence Goodlace, commented: “This is a tragic loss for everybody and our heartfelt condolences are with the families of the deceased. The support we are receiving from the neighbouring mining community, including the other operations, the Department of Mineral Resources, other levels of government and the leadership of the respective unions is gratefully appreciated.”
Meanwhile, the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) has accused Implats of ignoring signs of a potential underground fire and is calling for stricter safety measures at mines. An EWN news report cited an NUM official as saying that because it was not the majority union at Implats, its grievances were “falling on deaf ears”.
The NUM’s health and safety secretary, Eric Gcilitshana, reportedly said: “They knew that this fire was detected, but they undermined it and they undermined the lives of the workers. Whoever was involved in the process of undermining these workers must be brought to account for what they’ve done.”
