Two die in Bambanani seismic event

Johannesburg, South Africa — MININGREVIEW.COM — 27 February, 2008 – Harmony Gold Mining Company Limited (Harmony – fifth-largest gold producer in the world – has announced that two people died in a seismic event which occurred yesterday at the company’s Bambanani mine, in the Free State.

A company announcement here late yesterday said that the localised seismic event, which measured 2.1 in magnitude on the Richter scale, occurred on 63 level 73 stope, causing the panel to collapse where a total of 16 employees were working.

Medical and proto teams were immediately mobilised and the rescue operation was concluded in two hours. “The final rescue reports indicate that regrettably two persons died and four persons were injured, of which one is in a critical condition,” the announcement added.

Harmony chief executive Graham Briggs and his management team have expressed their sincere condolences to the families of the deceased, and sympathy to those affected by today’s tragic accident.