Rescuers have found the body of a miner trapped nearly 2km underground at Driefontein gold mine in Carletonville, a Gold Fields spokesperson said.
Four miners are still trapped underground.
”We have just located another one of the trapped people, but unfortunately he had died. His body will be brought to the surface,” said Gold Fields spokesperson Willie Jacobsz.
”The search will continue until we find and hopefully rescue all the missing people,” he said.
Jacobsz said 10 miners were initially trapped in the mine’s Number 2 shaft after a seismic event of 3,2 on the Richter scale shook the mine at about 7.40am.
”Two were immediately rescued, and shortly afterwards a third miner was rescued,” he said.
Another two miners, rescued in the early afternoon, were both injured but are in a stable condition at a nearby hospital.
Jacobsz said rescuers have a ”rough idea” of where the remaining miners are trapped.
”We have to dig our way through,” he said.
The condition of the trapped miners was not immediately known. They are about 2 000m underground, Jacobsz said.
Solidarity spokesperson Dirk Hermann said the union will be part of an investigation into the accident.
”Solidarity will join Gold Fields and other trade unions in an internal investigation into the incident. All attention is at present being given to efforts to trace the missing miners,” he said in a statement.
Three miners died at the same mine’s Number 1 shaft after a rock fall caused by a seismic event of 0,7 on the Richter scale in December 2003. — Sapa