South Africa: 8 miners dead after underground fire

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Eight of the nine missing miners who were trapped when a fire swept through the Doornkop Gold Mine west of Johannesburg in South Africa have been found dead on Thursday.

Mine management confirmed that the bodies were discovered very late.

However, the missing miner has yet to be located.

The tragedy began when a 2.4 magnitude tremor caused a rockfall which started the fire and trapped the miners 1,700 metres underground.

Mining has been the main driving force behind the history and development of South Africa’s economy.

Report says that the industry is frequently criticised for its poor safety record and high number of fatalities, but conditions have been improving since 2007, when former President Thabo Mbeki mandated full safety audits for all operating mines.

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