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Minister Mantashe arrives at Ekapa mine in Kimberley
Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, Gwede Mantashe, is preparing to descend a shaft at the Ekapa Minerals mine, where five miners remain trapped following Tuesday’s mud rush.
The Minister arrived at the mine in Kimberley on Friday.
VIDEO | The Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, Gwede Mantashe has arrived at Ekapa Minerals mine, in Kimberley Northern Cape where five mineworkers remain trapped following a mud rush incident on Tuesday. For more visit pic.twitter.com/oVk6vAHQJo
— SABC News (@SABCNews) February 20, 2026
Rescue efforts
Five mineworkers remain trapped underground following a mudslide incident on Tuesday. Mining operations have been suspended as efforts to rescue the trapped workers continue. It has entered its fourth day after a mud rush earlier this week.
Emergency teams are pumping water and mud from the shaft in an effort to clear a safe passage to the area where the miners are believed to be trapped.
Contact with the five workers has not yet been established.
Meanwhile, the Minerals Council South Africa has sent two experts to the mine to help support management and affected families.
Last night, community members gathered at the mine for a candlelight vigil and prayer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxGrqQYFeUU
