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Urgent: All 486 trapped miners rescued in S. Africa

Xinhua, February 23, 2015 Adjust font size:

All 486 mineworkers trapped in a gold mine were brought to safety, Harmony Gold Mining Company Limited said on Sunday.

All the mineworkers have not sustained any injuries, company spokesperson Pam McLoed said.

The mineworkers were trapped about 2.3 km underground when a fire broke out Sunday morning at Harmony Gold's Kusasalethu mine near Carletonville southwest of Johannesburg.

Counciling and health checkup will be provided to the mineworkers to determine whether they have any smoke inhalation or have been dehydrated, the company said.

The fire was believed to have started during maintenance work on a bulk air cooler on 75 level at the Kusasalethu mine.

The company deployed specially trained teams to rescue the trapped workers.

The Kusasalethu mine had been frequented by accidents. In 2014, three people died at the mine; in 2013 and 2012, two people were killed and four people died respectively in different accients, according to company statistics. Endi