Rescue for 260 workers trapped in South African mine

"Following a detailed risk assessment, it was decided that employees should remain at the sub-shaft station until it is safe to proceed to the surface, in order to avoid walking long distances at this time," the company said in a statement.

The National Union of Mineworkers, which represents workers at the Kloof mine, said the miners had been trapped for almost 24 hours, with the company repeatedly changing the estimated time for them to return to the surface.

"We are very concerned because the mine did not even make this incident public until we reported it to the media," NUM spokesman Livhuwani Mammburu said.

The company said all miners were accounted for and safe, adding it expected to hoist them back to the surface on Friday.