Nearly 1,000 Miners Trapped in South African Gold Mine

A powerful storm has left nearly 1,000

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people trapped in a mine in central South Africa. Mining officials are currently able to send food and water down to the miners but have not set a timetable on recovery. So long as ventilation remains unaffected, no one is in immediate danger.

The 955 miners aren't able to rise to the surface because of a powerful storm that hit Free State, a South African province. The thunderstorm brought down power lines near the site, leaving the mine's elevator inoperable and its backup generators overwhelmed with a power surge. While 60 people were rescued overnight, the vast majority remain trapped.

The miners are "pretty deep," according to James Wellsted, a spokesman for mining company Sibanye-Stillwater. He estimated they were 23 levels down, an equivalent of roughly 1,000 meters (3,280 feet). According to Sibanye-Stillwater's website that would put them right in the middle of the mine shaft, which goes down 2,000 meters.

https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/infrastructure/a15979313/nearly-1000-miners-trapped-in-south-african-gold-mine/