• All 260 miners trapped at the Kloof gold mine have been rescued safely.
• The miners were stranded for over 24 hours after a hoist accident.
• Rescue efforts began on Friday, with no reported injuries among the workers.
• The incident raised concerns over safety protocols at deep-level mines.

All 260 miners who were trapped underground at the Kloof gold mine in South Africa have been successfully rescued following a shaft incident caused by a damaged hoist, according to Le Monde.

The miners were trapped for over 24 hours after the accident, which occurred around 10:00 AM local time on Thursday. As rescuers worked to stabilize the environment, an initial phase of the operation managed to bring 79 miners to the surface by 1:30 PM Friday, with all remaining workers safely evacuated later in the day, as reported by Reuters and Newsweek.

During the incident, reports indicated that none of the miners sustained injuries, although they had been without food and water for an extended period. Concerns were raised by the National Union of Mineworkers regarding the adequacy of safety measures in such hazardous environments, as noted by Al Jazeera and ABC News.

The rescue operation highlighted existing concerns surrounding safety procedures within South Africa's mining industry, particularly regarding deep mines like Kloof, which is approximately 3,200 meters deep, complicating rescue efforts. This incident will likely prompt further scrutiny into mining regulations and safety standards, as stated by TRT Global and TRT Global.