- Russian prosecutor demands 3 years prison for French researcher
- 'Innocent' British nerve agent victim caught in global murder plot: inquiry
- Afghan Taliban vow to implement media ban on images of living things
- Russian prosecutor demands 3 years, 3 months jail for French researcher
- England ready for Pakistan's spin assault in second Test
- New Zealand's Ravindra excited for India Tests with father in crowd
- India's capital bans fireworks to curb air pollution
- Stocks diverge, oil retreats as China disappoints markets
- FIFA to open 'global dialogue' on transfer system after Diarra ruling
- Trio wins economics Nobel for work on wealth inequality
- Starmer vows to cut red tape as he urges foreign investors to 'back' UK
- Ex-Stasi officer jailed over 1974 Berlin border killing
- 'Not viable': Barcelona turns against surging tourism
- Hezbollah says targeted Israeli naval base after deadly drone strike
- Rice praises 'unbelievable' England interim boss Carsley despite uncertainty
- Nepali teenager hailed as hero after climbing world's 8,000m peaks
- England captain Stokes back from injury for second Pakistan Test
- Shanghai stocks gain after stimulus briefing as markets rally
- Shanghai stocks gain after stimulus briefing as Asian markets rally
- South Korea military says 'fully ready' as drone flights anger North
- Pakistan 'vigilantes' behind rise in online blasphemy cases
- Nearly 90, but opera legend Kabaivanska is still calling tune
- Smith experiment as Test opener over, Green out of India series
- With inflation down, ECB eyes faster tempo of rate cuts
- Is life possible on a Jupiter moon? NASA goes to investigate
- Dodgers crush Mets 9-0 in MLB playoff series opener
- South Korea military says 'fully ready' as drone tensions soar
- Cummins back, Marsh and Head out of Pakistan ODI series
- Shanghai stocks swing after stimulus briefing as most of Asia rises
- New Zealand's Latham promises 'no fear' as he takes charge for India Tests
- Kyrgios vows to 'shut up' doubters with December comeback
- Public hearings start into death of Brit by Russian nerve agent
- Ex-Stasi officer faces verdict over 1974 Berlin border killing
- Role of government, poverty research tipped for economics Nobel
- 'Stolen satire' feeds US election misinformation
- Rookie McCarty captures first PGA Tour title in Black Desert Championship
- Australia all-rounder Green ruled out of India Test series
- Seeing double in Nigeria's 'twins capital of the world'
- UK FM to attend EU foreign affairs talks for first time in 2 years
- Carter, Billups among 13 new Basketball Hall of Fame inductees
- Ravens rip Commanders as Lions lose NFL sacks leader in win
- Hezbollah drone strike kills four, wounds dozens at Israeli base
- China says launches military drills around Taiwan
- Stewart leads Liberty past Lynx to level WNBA Finals
- England return to winning ways in Nations League, Austria thrash Norway
- UN chief says attacks on UNIFIL 'may constitute a war crime'
- Ravens outlast Commanders while Bucs batter Saints in NFL
- Dozens hurt in Israel as Hezbollah claims drone strike
- England deserve 'world class' coach: Carsley
- Burkina Faso win to become first qualifiers for 2025 AFCON
S.Africa platinum mine lift plunge kills 11
Winding gear at a giant South African platinum mine failed sending an elevator into a precipitous fall that killed 11 workers and injured 75, the operators said Tuesday.
Impala Platinum said 14 of the injured workers remained in "critical condition" after the disaster on Monday as the elevator brought the miners up after the end of their shift.
All operations at the Rustenburg mine, northwest of Johannesburg, have been suspended while an investigation is started, company chief executive Nico Muller said in a statement.
Muller said the "devastating accident" at the mine was "the darkest day in the history" of the company, which is known as Implats.
There were 86 employees in the three-level lift when it "unexpectedly reversed direction and began descending back down through the shaft," Implats said in the statement.
- 'Emergency' failure -
South Africa has the world's deepest mines and many have lifts that can carry more than 100 people at a time.
Implats spokesman Johan Theron told AFP that a winder mechanism at Rustenberg went into reverse and accelerated, causing the lift to plunge at speed.
One "emergency" system failed to stop the lift which came to an "almost instantaneous" halt when a counterbalance weight rose to ground level and was caught in safety devices.
Implats said the lift sped down for about 180 metres of the 1,000 (3,280 feet) metre shaft.
Theron said some workers were severely injured, most suffered from ankle and leg fractures. Others walked out with minor scratches.
Implats said the lift safety mechanisms "are used in mining operations globally. The failure of the arrest safety protocol is therefore unusual, highlighting the tragic nature of this accident."
"Implats is offering ongoing support to the families and colleagues of those lost in service," said Muller.
"We also hold our injured colleagues in our thoughts at this incredibly difficult time."
But trade unions questioned safety measures at the mine.
"This incident ... raises a lot of questions about health and safety issues," the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa said in a statement.
Geoffrey Moatshe, of the National Union Of Mineworkers, said that shaft lifts need to be checked on a regular basis.
"If this thing was checked and maintained, this could have been avoided," Moatshe told AFP.
Mining employs hundreds of thousands of people in South Africa -- the biggest exporter of platinum and a major exporter of gold, diamonds, coal and other raw materials -- and accidents are common.
Dozens of mineworkers are killed each year, though numbers have been falling as safety standards have been stepped up over the past two decades.
More than 430 coal miners were killed in just one disaster in 1960 at Coalbrook. There were about 50 mining deaths in 2022, according to government statistics.
Industry group Minerals Council South Africa said 41 miners have died since the beginning of this year.
Implats said in August that five employees had died at work in various mines in the previous 12 months.
"This is a tragic accident. It serves as a stark reminder that there can never be any lapse in focus and vigilance regarding safety on mines," said Japie Fullard, head of a Minerals Council's safety initiative.
D.Cunningha--AMWN