Rescue operation at Elandsrand
Johannesburg. Wednesday 4 October 2007. Harmony Gold Mining Company Limited (Harmony) has announced that 2,000 mine workers have been brought to surface at its Elandsrand Gold Mine near Carletonville, since the rescue operations commenced in the early hours of 4 October 2007.
The mine’s 3 200 employees were trapped underground when a 15-metre compressed pipe column broke off below the shaft surface bank and fell to the shaft bottom. No one was injured.
Extensive damage was caused to the shaft steel-work and the electrical feeder cords to the man-and-material shaft were severed. Elandsrand operates a two-shaft system and an auxiliary mine lift was configured to hoist mine workers through the second shaft system, namely the rock and ventilation shaft.
The 2,000 workers that have been brought to surface are in good health and have stated that their colleagues underground are calm and waiting patiently to surface.
The mine is being well ventilated and the remaining mine workers have access to water and medical supplies. A team of paramedics was sent down immediately after the first workers were brought to surface.
The rescue operation should take about 10 hours to bring everyone to surface. Management is confident that all the workers will be brought to surface by 4 o’clock this afternoon.
Harmony’s Chairman, Patrice Motsepe, acting Chief Executive Graham Briggs and Chief Operating Officer Alwyn Pretorius have been at the mine throughout the night to ensure that the workers are brought safely to surface.
For more details contact:
Graham Briggs
Acting Chief Executive
+27(0)83 265 0274
Amelia Soares
General Manager, Investor Relations
+27(0)82 654 9241
Lizelle du Toit
Investor Relations Officer
+27(0)82 465 1244