Nearly 1000 miners at the Sibanye-Stillwater Beatrix Mine were trapped underground over-night when the power went out. Thankfully they have all been rescued and reunited with their families.
News rolled in on Wednesday evening stating that over 1000 miners were trapped underground in South Africa. Our hearts ached thinking of what those brave miners must have felt when the power went out. The next morning, no progress had been made and worry set it about how the men would survive the wait.
Thankfully Eskom managed to restore the power and all the men were rescued without any injury or fatalities. They spent a total of 31 hours trapped underground.
Once they were rescued, they were bussed to a nearby location to meet their families, have hot showers and hot meals. They were also given medical exams and time off to recuperate from the ordeal.
The good news here, it that the miners are all safe but another aspect to it is that there has now been a real public eye on the state of the mine.
The incident has put a spotlight on mines operating in South Africa. People are concerned as to why these mines do not have emergency backup generators or better escape plans. Hopefully, this incident will help the mining industry assess their current protocols and better them to ensure their employees are safe.
What are your thoughts?
So amazing that all near a thousand mineworkers trapped underground in #SibanyeGold mine have been rescued! What great news to start this Friday! đâ¤
— Ulrich Janse van Vuuren (@UlrichJvV) February 2, 2018
#SibanyeGold mine workers free at last. Thank you Jesus
— Koll BoragođżđŚ (@TheGhettoKing) February 2, 2018
Wits University is working on new technology to help out in situations like this. Finding solutions to problems is a great way to help the industry as a whole.
So happy #SibanyeGold miners are safe.
Wits Mining Institute is developing tracking device to locate miners when an underground mine collapses. Device will transmit vital stats of injured miners/send distress calls if miner is unable to. [WATCH] https://t.co/fA8ybjap2V— Wits_News (@Wits_News) February 2, 2018
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