FXS: Gold Fields biggest mine still shut, 2nd worker dead
JOHANNESBURG, Oct 16 (Reuters) - The biggest mine owned by Gold Fields remained shut for a second day on Thursday after it was hit by earth tremors the previous day, and a worker who had trapped underground by falling rock was found dead.
South Africa's Gold Fields, the world's No. 4 gold producer, on Wednesday took the decision to shut its largest operation, the Driefontein mine near Johannesburg, after two tremors killed one worker and trapped another underground.
"The entire mine is still shut, and there will be an on-site investigation by the Department of Minerals and Energy today," Willie Jacobsz, a spokesman for Gold Fields said.
It was unclear how long the mine's closure would last.
Tremors are a common occurrence in South Africa's deep gold mines, which are the deepest in the world and can in some cases run at depths of more than 3 km (1.9 miles).
The tremors hit the mine's shaft No. 5 killing one worker instantly, and trapping the second victim 3-km underground.
Four other workers were injured, two of them seriously.
The mine produced 218,200 ounces in the June quarter. The group has gold mines in South Africa, Ghana, Australia and Peru.
South Africa has an appalling safety record, and about 140 workers have died in mines so far this year, compared to 221 in 2007 and 200 in 2006.
Gold Fields has had the worst record of deaths among mining companies, and Nick Holland, Gold Fields' Chief Executive Officer, has vowed to cease mining if it cannot mine safely, shutting parts of the companies large mines for safety repairs.
(Reporting by James Macharia; editing by Michael Roddy) Keywords: GOLDFIELDS DEATH/