Harmony halts Evander ops after death

A worker was killed in a rockfall at the South African gold miner's Evander No. 8 shaft; the group says it is nclear when output will resume

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters)  - 

Harmony Gold Mining Co Ltd (HARJ.J), the world's No.5 gold producer, suspended output at its Evander No. 8 shaft in South Africa on Wednesday after a mineworker was killed in a rockfall.

Harmony's spokeswoman Marian van der Walt said the company had decided to stop production at the shaft until the country's Department of Mining Resources had completed an investigation into the accident.

"At this stage I can't say for exactly how long that will be," Van der Walt told Reuters.

She said operations had been stopped after the accident occurred at 0300 GMT.

The Evander mine produced 1,057 kg of gold in the second quarter to December 2009.

South Africa, which has the world's deepest gold mines, has a dire safety record, and the fatalities have led to the temporary closure of mines by authorities, denting output. (Reporting by Muchena Zigomo)

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