South African Diamond Mine Closes Amid Search for Missing Workers

Five employees of the Ekapa diamond mine in Kimberley, South Africa, were trapped underground after a mudslide at the mine on Feb. 17. (Photo courtesy of Ekapa’s LinkedIn page)

Kimberley, South Africa—A 158-year-old diamond mine in South Africa has reportedly closed following a mudslide that trapped five workers underground last week.

The workers have yet to be found but are presumed dead.

On Feb. 17, a surge of water, mud, and rock flooded an underground section of the Ekapa Mine in Kimberley, the capital of Northern Cape province, blocking access to the lowest mining level and trapping the workers roughly half a mile underground, according to a report from the Associated Press.

South Africa’s Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources said in a statement released Feb. 20 that it was assisting with recovery efforts and had launched a formal investigation into the tragedy.

The department did not respond to a request for additional comment by press time.

The mine’s owners, Ekapa Resources and Ekapa Minerals, announced to workers on Wednesday that it has filed for liquidation, according to the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), adding that the workers trapped underground were “presumed deceased.”

The company cited financial concerns due to the downturn in the diamond market and the costs associated with the recovery efforts following the mudslide, the news organization said.

More than 1,000 workers have seemingly lost their jobs due to the closing, and it is unclear if they will be paid.

The miner’s website appears to have been taken down.

The tragic incident has prompted unions, including the South African Federation of Trade Unions and National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa, to publish statements calling for transparency and accountability.

In its statement released Feb. 26, The Congress of South African Trade Unions said it “hopes the board and management of Ekapa Mine are not attempting to escape accountability by hastily applying for liquidation.”

“Given the country’s dangerously high unemployment rate of 41.1 percent, we cannot afford to lose a single job. In the same breath, no job is worth losing a life over—and in this instance it appears we have lost five breadwinners, the impact on their families is unimaginable.”

Mineral and Petroleum Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe will return to the Ekapa Mine on Friday, SABC reported.