October 07, 2008

One miner killed and four injured at Matla coal mine in SA

It is reported that a miner was killed and four others seriously injured by an explosion in the Matla coal mine outside Witbank in South Africa.

Mr Paris Mashego spokesperson the National Union of Mineworkers said that a methane explosion occurred around noon. He said that "These workers were supposed to be home for the Easter weekend, but were lured into working through zama zama.”

Zama-zama was a voluntary shift system allowing mine workers to make extra money on their off days.

Mr Mashego said that "It is very dangerous to work this shift because employers do not pay much attention to the required safety standards.”

The union believed that the mine was under extra production pressure by the Matla power station, which apparently had low coal stocks.

Matla was owned by Exxaro Resources.