Nearly 300 workers trapped deep underground in South African gold mine

A major rescue operation is underway to save 289 mine workers trapped underground in a South African gold mine.

Rescuers are currently attempting to provide food to the trapped workers in the three-kilometre-deep Kloof gold mine near Johannesburg.

"We can confirm that we had an incident at Kloof 7 shaft and are busy with making safe and shaft exam procedures, whereafter we will then hoist the employees out to surface," said a spokesperson for mining company Sibanya Stillwater said.

Mining company Sibanya Stillwater says the workers are all safe and accounted for, and the situation is expected to be resolved by midday - but mine experts have said the mine shaft must at first be guaranteed safe.

Shaft 7 is a classic ultra-deep Witwatersrand gold operation. It is more than 3km deep, dramatically raising the stakes in the operation to get the miners out

South Africa's National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) also confirmed on Friday received reports of the trapped miners. "We have reports that about 300 workers are trapped underground at Kloof mine No. 7 shaft. The incident happened at around 10 pm yesterday," a spokesperson for NUM told Reuters.

Speaking with the South African outlet the Daily Maverick, spokesperson Livhuwani Mammburu said: “We are angry that Sibanye has tried to hide the fact that 300 workers are trapped underground without food.”