Nearly 500 South African miners escape after fire

Nearly 500 miners who were trapped underground by a fire at a gold mine in South Africa on Sunday were brought to the surface safely, a spokeswoman for mining company Harmony Gold said. The cause of the fire would be investigated, but an earlier company statement said it was believed to have started while maintenance work was being done on an air cooler.

We are extremely grateful that all of our colleagues have been brought to surface, without injury.

Harmony Gold CEO Graham Briggs

South Africa’s economy is heavily dependent on the mining of platinum, gold and coal. According to industry lobby group This Is Gold, the country was listed as the sixth largest gold producer in 2013, exporting 168.8 tonnes of the mineral. The gold sector employed around 132,000 people that year. Accidents, however, are commonplace.

Asia-Pacific South Africa miners