May 3, 2018 Earthquake: West Rand, South Africa

The Council for Geoscience can confirm that an earthquake occurred in the far West Rand gold mine area on 3 May 2018 at 13:17 South African Standard Time. The earthquake registered a preliminary 2.1 on the local magnitude scale as determined with seismograph stations of the South African Seismograph Network operated by the Council for Geoscience. The Council for Geoscience shall confirm the basis of the seismic event upon iterative review of the preliminary data by a seismologist. (reference #12117)

Mine operator Sibanye-Stillwater said on Friday that 10 of 13 miners trapped underground at its South African gold mine were rescued but four of the 10 have died from their injuries. The miners were trapped by at the company's Masakhane mine west of Johannesburg on Thursday after an earthquake caused a cave-in. Five of 13 miners were rescued on Thursday but one of them had died. Sibanye-Stillwater said in an updated statement that six of the rescued employees are in hospital and another has been located, while two employees remain unaccounted for. (reference #12116)

The final death toll following last week's mining accident stands at seven, with another six who were rescued but injured, according to South Africa's mineworker unions and the mine operator. The accident happened Thursday at the Sibanye-Stillwater's Masakhane Mine at Driefontein, when - according to company officials - a seismic event registering a 2.2 magnitude on the Richter scale occurred where the miners were working. They were trapped as a result of the quake, with the last three fatalities reached on Saturday. (reference #12118)