Fire underground at Doornkop mine

Harmony Gold Mining Company Limited (Harmony) advises that an underground fire has broken out at the Doornkop gold mine, west of Johannesburg, Gauteng Province. Contact has been made with eight employees in a refuge bay; efforts continue to reach these employees and to establish the whereabouts of a further nine employees who are currently unaccounted for.

The fire was reported to have occurred in a stope adjacent to 192 level haulage (some 1 733 m underground) at around 18:00 on Tuesday, 4 February 2014. Rescue teams were immediately dispatched underground, but access to the affected area is being hampered by smoke and a subsequent fall of ground.

Operations at the mine have been suspended.

Further updates will be provided as these become available.

Update 1: Fire underground at Doornkop mine

Further to the statement issued this morning that an underground fire has broken out at Doornkop gold mine, the company is pleased to advise that rescuers have reached the eight employees located in the underground refuge bay, and are bringing them to surface. Efforts continue to establish the whereabouts of a further nine employees who are currently unaccounted for.

The fire was reported to have occurred in a stope adjacent to 192 level haulage (some 1 733m underground) at around 18:00 on Tuesday, 4 February 2014. Rescue teams were immediately dispatched underground, but access to the affected area is being hampered by smoke and a fall of ground.

Operations at the mine have been suspended.

Statements issued by Harmony Gold, February 5 2014

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