Ekapa Mine says rescue operations for four trapped miners ongoing

Recovery operations to reach four miners still trapped underground at the Ekapa Mine in Kimberley are continuing, with teams reporting steady progress.

Last month, a mudslide at the Du Toitspan joint shaft trapped five workers underground, triggering a complex search and recovery operation.

Earlier this week, rescue teams managed to recover the body of one of the miners, while efforts continue to reach the remaining four.

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Ekapa Resources said teams were working methodically under controlled conditions to reach the last known working area where the miners were located.

The company said progress had been made on the eastern side of the operation, with most of a large drill rig now removed from the shaft.

Officials said more than 40,000 cubic metres of water had already been pumped from the affected area, while hundreds of scoops of mud and debris had also been cleared from both sides of the shaft.

Specialist mine rescue and proto teams continue to work around the clock, but operations remain slow and careful due to the dangerous underground conditions.