SOUTH AFRICAN unions demanded government action to address the mining industry’s “deteriorating and poor safety record” today after at least four people died in an earthquake at a gold mine.

Workers were trapped underground at Sibanye-Stillwater’s Masakhane mine near Johannesburg after the 2.2-magnitude quake struck yesterday. 

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) said it was “alarmed” at the worsening situation in South Africa’s mines, with the latest incident happening just months after more than 1,000 workers were trapped underground at another Sibanye-Stillwater operation in Beatrix in the Free State.

It urged the government to take the company’s deteriorating safety record seriously and conduct a thorough investigation.

The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) said it was “angry and concerned at the rate at which mining incidents are happening at Sibanye-Stillwater.”

Research by the union showed that nearly a third of mining industry deaths this year took place at Sibanye-Stillwater operations.

The NUM demanded “more serious intervention” by the government.

A Cosatu statement accused the government of being reluctant to close mines on health and safety grounds despite a “scandalous” 25 deaths in the sector this year.

“Government is sacrificing workers because it is afraid of the mining companies. While we appreciate that there was a tremor underground at Masakhane, Cosatu still demands more action from government to force companies to adhere to safety regulations,” the statement said.

Sibanye-Stillwater spokesman James Wellsted said four miners had been killed by an earthquake whose epicentre was close to where they had been working.

Rescue attempts were continuing, with at least two more workers unaccounted for, as the Star went to press.