Gold Fields worker missing, shaft operations halted
A miner is missing 3,000m below surface in Gold Fields’ Driefontein mine after a tremor measuring 1.5 on the Richter scale hit the No.5 shaft.
Posted: Monday , 03 Sep 2007
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) -
One miner was missing and operations were suspended at a shaft of the biggest mine of South Africa's Gold Fields Ltd after an earth tremor, the firm said on Monday.
Gold Fields, the world's fourth biggest gold producer, said the missing miner was working 3,000 metres below the surface when a tremor measuring 1.5 on the Richter scale occured on Saturday at the No. 5 shaft of the Driefontein mine.
NO.5 SHAFT SHUT
Tremor at Gold Fields' Driefontein mine leaves miner deadA tremor at Gold Fields’ Driefontein mine in South Africa has left one miner dead and two injured. Operations have been suspended at the No.5 shaft.
Posted: Monday , 03 Sep 2007
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) -
One miner was found dead and operations were suspended at a shaft of Gold Fields'
Gold Fields Ltd, the world's fourth biggest gold producer, said the miner had been working 3,000 metres below the surface when a tremor measuring 1.5 on the Richter scale occured on Saturday at the No. 5 shaft of the Driefontein mine.
The shaft would remain shut pending an investigation into the accident by department of minerals officials, spokesman Andrew Davidson said.
Three other miners were working in the same area when the tremor occurred, two of whom were injured.
The Driefontein mine produced 1.2 million ounces of gold in the financial year to end-June, over a quarter of Gold Fields' attributable output of 4.02 million ounces. No production figures were immediately available for the No. 5 mine shaft.
So far five miners have been killed at Gold Field mines since July, while 29 died in accidents in the financial year to end-June, Davidson said.
Gold Fields shares rose 2.05 percent to 111.75 rand by 1250 GMT, largely in line with the gold mining index
