Eight miners were trapped underground on Thursday after a fire in the Buffelsfontein gold mine at Stilfontein, the company said.
Simmer & Jack Mines chief executive Gordon Miller said everything humanly possible was being done to rescue the miners.
Indications were that the fire was caused by an electrical problem.
”Our rescue teams have been working since early this morning,” said Miller. ”Eight miners are still underground and the rescue teams are trying to locate them; 136 miners were underground at the time and nine have been treated for smoke inhalation.”
Simmers chief operating officer Deon van der Mescht expressed his deep concern for the miners and said the main priority was to establish their exact location in order for rescue teams to determine the best method of getting the men out.
Van der Mescht said he did not yet know what caused the fire beyond that it was an electrical problem.
”Rescuing the miners is our first priority; establishing exactly what happened is next on our list.”
Simmers said it was liaising closely with the regional leadership of the National Union of Mineworkers and the Department of Minerals and Energy during the rescue operation. — Sapa