The Minister of Mineral Resources, Mr Gwede Mantashe extends his condolences to the families of six mineworkers who lost their lives following a mining accident at the Palabora Mining Company in Limpopo.

It is unfortunate that yet again, as a country, we have lost so many lives in this disaster. These deaths add to an already high number of lost lives in the industry, since the beginning of the year.

We reiterate our call to mining companies to prioritise the safety of employees at all times.

The Department of Mineral Resources will proceed with an investigation into the cause of the accident at Palabora Mining Company, soon after the fire underground has been extinguished and the area is declared safe.

Issued by the Department of Mineral Resources