Pretoria: The mining industry has sent its condolences to the families of eight mineworkers who lost their lives following a tragic accident at Harmony Gold Mining Company Limited’s Doornkop Mine on Wednesday.

In a statement on Thursday, the Chamber of Mines said the incident, where a fall of ground incident caused a fire that trapped workers underground, was unfortunate, given the mine’s good safety record over the years.

Mike Teke, the President of the Chamber of Mines, commended the rescue team’s efforts in the rescue of eight mineworkers and the recovery of the eight deceased miners on Wednesday.

He wished the rescue team success in retrieving the one miner who has not been located.

“We are very encouraged by the expediency in which Harmony has handled this very unfortunate incident. As the Chamber, we will continue providing the necessary support through our various safety committees as we work tirelessly towards the zero harm goal,” Teke said.