Implats mine accident leaves 11 dead, halts operations

An accident at Impala Platinum’s mine in Rustenburg left 11 people dead.

Operations have been suspended after the incident on Monday afternoon when a personnel conveyance that was hoisting employees to the surface suddenly began descending, the company said in a statement on Tuesday.

Seventy-five people were injured and transferred to four hospitals in the region, it said.

“This is the darkest day in the history of Implats,” CEO Nico Muller said in the statement.

An investigation is being conducted into the cause of the incident.

The incident at Implats brings to at least 52 the number of people killed in accidents at South African mines this year, compared with 44 last year, according to Minerals Council South Africa, an industry lobby group.