Three miners died in a mud rush at Rustenburg Platinum mine on Monday morning, the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) said.
It said the men were all from the mine’s Paardekraal shaft.
”The miners were swamped in an underground mud fall, apparently caused by water that flowed down the shaft,” NUM spokesperson Lesiba Seshoka told the South African Press Association.
NUM national safety secretary Eric Ncilitshana said in a statement he believed the accident could have been prevented.
”We call for an urgent investigation into the cause of these deaths. Necessary action should be taken against the mine should any breach be found …”
Confirming the accident, Anglo Platinum spokesperson Simon Tebele said it was being investigated.
He said the miners’ names would not be released until their next-of-kin had been informed.
In a statement, Anglo Platinum expressed its condolences to the miners’ families and friends. — Sapa