Nineteen people died in South African mine accidents in June, two people were disabled and 334 people were injured, Department of Minerals and Energy data for the month shows.
The June mining accident figures compare with 21 deaths and 375 injuries in May and 23 fatalities in June 2002. For the half-year to June, about 2 114 people have been injured in mining accidents and 131 people have died.
The provisional fatality rate for the period July 1, 2002, to June 30, 2003, is 0,70 per 1 000 persons at work.
The majority of the accidents in June took place at coal, gold and platinum mines.
Falls of ground were the cause of 12 fatalities (63,2%) while transportation and mining accidents were the cause of four (21%). There was one accident during the month, which resulted in multiple fatalities, where two people were killed in an accident at Richards Bay Minerals.
South Africa’s fourth largest platinum miner Northam Platinum reported two fatalities during June as a result of a fall of ground as well as a transportation and mining accident.
The world number two gold miner AngloGold saw deaths at its Tau Lekoa, Mponeng and Great Noligwa mines during June.
There were also deaths at Gold Fields’ Kloof, Driefontein and Beatrix mines. There were also single fatalities at Durban Roodepoort Deep’s North-West province operations and Harmony’s Evander mine.
During June, Anglo American Platinum’s Mokerong mine, Impala Platinum’s (IMP) mining operations and Aquarius Platinum’s Kroondal mine, all had one fatality each during the month.
One person was killed at Cerebros’ salt mine near Port Elizabeth.
Three coal mines, N’Komati Anthracite, Robbertse and Golfview, each registered one fatality during June.
Gold mines accounted for 224 (67%) of the injuries, eight (42%) of the deaths and one of the disabilities.
Twenty-seven people were injured on coal mines and three people were killed
while 56 were injured on platinum mines, five were killed and one person was disabled.
In the rest of the mining sector in June, 27 people were injured and three
were killed. – I-Net Bridge