3,000 Trapped in South African Mine

More than 3,000 South African gold miners are trapped 1.4 miles beneath the surface of the Earth. The company that owns the mine said that its workers will be able to breathe, but South Africa’s National Union of Mineworkers said it is extremely concerned for those who are trapped.

Update: All of the workers have been rescued.

BBC:

A pipe broke, severing power cables to the lift and trapping workers at the bottom of a 2.2km (1.4 mile) shaft.

Rescuers are planning to use an adjacent shaft to lift them out, a spokeswoman for the mine’s owner, Harmony Gold Mining, said.

The accident happened at about 1000 (0800 GMT), some 80km (50 miles) west of Johannesburg.

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