Operations to rescue three mineworkers who have been trapped underground for the past nine days at the Lily mine near Barbeton in Mpumalanga remain suspended until such time as a full geotechnical assessment of the stability of the open pit area and underground operations is completed.
The search and rescue mission had to be suspended on Saturday after the mine experienced a second major collapse of ground on the southern wall of the open pit area‚ widening an exposed sinkhole and sending more rocks and debris into the underground mining area.
“A decision was made by mine management to immediately evacuate all underground
search and rescue teams in the interests of their safety‚” the mine’s Australian owners‚ Vantage Goldfields‚ said.
“Regrettably the search and rescue operation for the three missing Lily Mine employees‚ Ms Pretty Mabuza‚ Mr Solomon Nyarenda and Ms Yvonne Mnisi‚ has been suspended until a full geotechnical assessment has been completed and the risk levels of underground operations has been established‚” the company added.
“We share the frustration and disappointment of the families of our missing colleagues‚ and the broader community‚ that the search and rescue mission has experienced this major setback. We were‚ however‚ left with no alternative as the situation is currently too unstable to safely continue with the underground mission‚” said Mike McChesney‚ CEO of Vantage Goldfields.
“Unfortunately it is simply not possible at this stage to provide any definitive time frames on when the geotechnical assessment will be finalised.”
McChesney said that that some of the world’s best qualified specialists in this field had been called in following Saturday morning’s collapse of ground to lead the geotechnical assessment. This needed to be comprehensive and thorough to ensure that no further tragedy was experienced at the mine by exposing the rescue teams to even greater risk in a highly unstable underground environment‚ he added.
The three mineworkers have been trapped in the mine since the morning of Friday‚ February 5‚ when the lamp room — a converted shipping container — where they were on duty‚ collapsed into an 80m hole.
Eighty-seven workers were rescued from the debris.
Rescue efforts at Lily Mine remain suspended
Operations to rescue three mineworkers who have been trapped underground for the past nine days at the Lily mine near Barbeton in Mpumalanga remain suspended until such time as a full geotechnical assessment of the stability of the open pit area and underground operations is completed.
The search and rescue mission had to be suspended on Saturday after the mine experienced a second major collapse of ground on the southern wall of the open pit area‚ widening an exposed sinkhole and sending more rocks and debris into the underground mining area.
“A decision was made by mine management to immediately evacuate all underground
search and rescue teams in the interests of their safety‚” the mine’s Australian owners‚ Vantage Goldfields‚ said.
“Regrettably the search and rescue operation for the three missing Lily Mine employees‚ Ms Pretty Mabuza‚ Mr Solomon Nyarenda and Ms Yvonne Mnisi‚ has been suspended until a full geotechnical assessment has been completed and the risk levels of underground operations has been established‚” the company added.
“We share the frustration and disappointment of the families of our missing colleagues‚ and the broader community‚ that the search and rescue mission has experienced this major setback. We were‚ however‚ left with no alternative as the situation is currently too unstable to safely continue with the underground mission‚” said Mike McChesney‚ CEO of Vantage Goldfields.
“Unfortunately it is simply not possible at this stage to provide any definitive time frames on when the geotechnical assessment will be finalised.”
McChesney said that that some of the world’s best qualified specialists in this field had been called in following Saturday morning’s collapse of ground to lead the geotechnical assessment. This needed to be comprehensive and thorough to ensure that no further tragedy was experienced at the mine by exposing the rescue teams to even greater risk in a highly unstable underground environment‚ he added.
The three mineworkers have been trapped in the mine since the morning of Friday‚ February 5‚ when the lamp room — a converted shipping container — where they were on duty‚ collapsed into an 80m hole.
Eighty-seven workers were rescued from the debris.
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