MICHAEL SCHMIDT: Terror of underground mining remains a constant
Thirteen miners at Impala Platinum died in the recent mineshaft accident
07 December 2023 - 05:00
A queasy, vertiginous sense of near free-fall seized my gut when I heard of the mineshaft disaster at Impala Platinum in Rustenburg on November 27 that left 13 miners dead and 50 injured, eight of them critical.
Having experienced it, one never forgets the sensation of being lowered 1km or more down into the depths of the earth. You are crammed into a large steel-meshed cage with scores of other men, all bulked out in boots, overalls, helmets, headlamps, and battery packs. It is not for claustrophobics...
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