Search for trapped Rustenburg miners continues

Mine rescuers were on Thursday battling at a Rustenburg mine in North West to retrieve two miners who are trapped underground.

The miners are feared dead by their colleagues.

The two miners have been trapped at Impala Platinum Mine Shaft 1 since 9am on Tuesday morning.

They were among nine miners who were underground when a rockfall happened. Seven of their colleagues managed to escape to safety.

The seven employees have been sent home by the mine and it promised to offer them trauma counselling.

The mine has dispatched six mine rescue teams‚ each comprising 36 people.

Miners were seen roaming around the shaft with some entering and leaving.

The miners said the mine officials were updating them about their progress in rescuing their colleagues.

They complained that the mine was offering them a refresher course about safety instead of trauma counselling.

A female miner who was working a level above where the nine were trapped said she heard a loud bang.

She has lost hope that the two are alive saying there is poor ventilation where they are trapped and it is very hot underground.

Earlier this year‚ the same mine lost four workers who were overcome by fumes following an underground fire at shaft number 14.

Tiso Black Star Group Digital/Sowetan