More than 3,000 stuck in South Africa mine

[Locutus]

I hope this works out. If not, this could be very bad indeed.


More than 3,000 workers are trapped deep underground in a South African gold mine after an accident blocked a deep shaft, officials have said. The 2.2km (1.4mile) shaft was blocked near the bottom, trapping the workers.
Rescuers are trying to use an adjacent shaft to rescue the miners, a spokeswoman for the mine's owner, Harmony Gold Mining, said.
The accident happened at about 0800 GMT and there has been no communication with the miners since then, she said.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7027122.stm

 

[hermanntrude]

holy **** that's scary

 

[Locutus]

Neither CNN or CBC has even picked it up yet. This could be terrible. BBC reader said that water is threatening the miners as well.

 

[Locutus]

Here's more from Sky. Brit news is the best man.

http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30200-1286898,00.html

 

[hermanntrude]

not quite up to the standards it used to be, but still tried to withold a little integrity

 

[Locutus]

not quite up to the standards it used to be, but still tried to withold a little integrity

I still prefer the BBC World news here over any other for quality reporting sans CNN ego, hurricane jackets and the scary intro music they use. Mind you, Anderson Cooper would make this a 24 hour a day story until the end was reached. He'd drill a hole to drop a mic in to say 'Hi, this is Andy Cooper' or some wanker slant like that. Also, I love those Indian babes that read the news. Mwuhahaha.....

 

[#juan]

These people have been down there for some time now. I wonder if there will be a problem with the air. My heart really goes out to them because my claustrophobia wouldn't let me get within twenty feet of the entrance to that mine. Heights never bothered me but I never liked holes or tunnels.

 

[Tonington]

I'm admittedly ignorant on this issue, but is there such a thing as a mining company with a good safety record?

I can't even imagine that. I don't take very well to low oxygen, not claustrophobic, but even a strong breeze seems to make me panic a little when I can't draw a full breath. I don't even want to think about being trapped below, good ventilation or not, whatever that means in a collapsed mine shaft...

 

[Locutus]

So far so good. 1,000 brought safely to the surface, 2,000 to go.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7027122.stm

 

[#juan]

So far so good. 1,000 brought safely to the surface, 2,000 to go.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7027122.stm

All workers rescued from SA mine

The miners could only be brought to the surface in small groups

More than 3,200 exhausted South African gold miners have been rescued from deep underground after they were trapped by a power cable accident. The final group was lifted to safety from Elandsrand mine, 80km (50 miles) from Johannesburg, officials said.
The accident had left the miners trapped 2.2km (1.4 miles) underground. Some had been there for 40 hours.
The miners were brought out through a small shaft normally used for mining equipment. None were seriously injured.
Only 75 workers could be hauled clear at a time, adding up to no more than 300 in an hour.