Doornkop resumes operations
Following the death of nine miners at the Doornkop mine shaft last month, Harmony Gold Mining Company announced that the operations at the mine have resumed.
Harmony Gold Mining Company announced that mining operations have resumed at the Doornkop mine shaft on Monday 3 March.
This follows the death of nine mineworkers who were among 17 miners who got trapped at the mine near Krugersdorp after a seismic event, a rock fall and an underground fire had broken out last month.
Eight miners were rescued from an underground refugee bay after one miner escaped from the shaft on his own and pointed out possible locations of other survivors.
“The resumption of operations yesterday – and slowly over the next several days, according to a detailed start-up plan – follows the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) lifting the Section 54 notices on Friday 28 February,” says Harmony Gold in a statement.
“An investigation into the events of 4 February, in terms of the Mine Health and Safety Act (MHSA) and under the direction of the DMR, has begun at the mine and is expected to continue for at least the next four weeks.”
Meanwhile, an external safety audit team has been appointed voluntarily by Harmony to assess and report on safety at all of the company’s South African operations.
Harmony Gold’s Chief Executive Officer Graham Briggs says that they will learn more from both the processes – the official investigation and the voluntary audit – to minimise risk and operate safe mines.
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