JOHANNESBURG, June 14 (Reuters) – Sibanye-Stillwater has recovered the body of the fifth and final missing mine worker after a three-day search at its Kloof Ikamva gold mine in South Africa, the company said on Thursday.
The five Sibanye workers killed went missing on Monday after entering an abandoned section of the mine near Johannesburg, the latest in a series of fatal incidents at the companies’ South African operations.
“The bodies of all five employees who entered an abandoned area on Monday have now been recovered and sadly five colleagues lost their lives in this tragic accident,” Sibanye said in a statement.
“A thorough investigation … will be performed to understand the events and actions leading to this incident.”
At least 20 people have died at Sibanye’s South African mines this year including seven trapped underground at its Masakhane mine in May.
Sibanye said safety issues were a concern for its investors and a factor behind a 28 percent fall in its share price last month.
(Reporting by Nqobile Dludla; editing by Joe Brock and Jason Neely)