All 260 miners trapped overnight at South Africa’s Kloof gold mine were safely rescued on Friday, the mining company Sibanye-Stillwater confirmed.

The miners were stuck underground after a hoist used to access the shaft was damaged in an accident on Thursday at the mine located 60 kilometers west of Johannesburg. The first 79 workers were brought to the surface by 1:30 pm, with the remaining miners rescued six hours later.

Sibanye-Stillwater assured the public, “At no point was there any risk of injury to employees during the incident.” The company also explained that emergency escape routes were not used to avoid forcing miners to walk longer distances underground.

The National Union of Mineworkers had expressed concern about the prolonged entrapment, stating the miners had been “underground for almost 20 hours.” However, the company’s spokesperson, Henrika Ninham, clarified, “The employees are not trapped; it was decided to keep them at the sub-shaft station for now.”

Relatives of the miners waited anxiously outside the site, many shocked by the accident. Sibanye-Stillwater added that all employees will undergo medical examinations as needed, with support extended to their families.

Neal Froneman, CEO of Sibanye-Stillwater, stated the company would not resume mining operations “until we are confident that all the necessary remedial actions have been implemented.”

Mining remains a key industry in South Africa but is often marred by accidents. Safety improvements have helped reduce fatalities in recent years, with 42 miners dying in 2024 compared to 55 in the previous year, according to Minerals Council South Africa.

The safe rescue of all miners is a rare and welcome success in the country’s mining sector.