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Harmony gold's Bambanani operations remain suspended after tremor

The gold miner says a tremor hit its Bambanani operations on Monday injuring four workers and trapping two others

Posted: Tuesday , 28 Sep 2010

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - 

 

Operations at Harmony Gold's (HARJ.J: Quote) Bambanani mine in South Africa remained suspended on Tuesday as rescuers searched for two employees trapped underground after an earth tremor, a company spokesman said.

Harmony, the world's fifth-largest listed gold miner, said on Monday that a tremor had hit the mine, injuring four workers and trapping two others.

"Operations have been suspended and we have made some progress (in the search). Rescue workers believe they know where the two people are and they are making their way there," the spokesman said.

The spokesman said the company had yet to work out how much output would be lost during the shutdown.

Bambanani mine, in Free State province, produced 1,170 kg of gold during the April-June quarter.

South Africa -- which has the world's deepest gold mines and is prone to earth tremors -- has a dire safety record compared with its peers in the industrialised world.

Fatalities have led to the temporary closure of mines and reduced output, which is already declining due to falling grades. (Reporting by Olivia Kumwenda, editing by Anthony Barker)

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