All 486 South Africa miners trapped by fire saved

All 486 South African miners trapped after a fire outbreak at a gold mine have been brought to safety, a source says.

The miners were working about 2,300 meters underground at Harmony Gold Mining Company’s Kusasalethu mine near the town of Carletonville when the fire broke out early on Sunday.

The missing miners have been found and rescued, said Charmane Russell, the spokeswoman for the Harmony Gold Mining Company.

The fire was thought to have been caused during maintenance work on a bulk air cooler at the mine.

Following the incident, a search and rescue mission rushed to pull the miners out, the company said in a statement.

South African President Jacob Zuma had called on the mining company to do everything possible for the rescue of the miners.

“I urge all South Africans to keep the miners in their thoughts and prayers during this difficult period,” Zuma said before the miners were located.

Mine accidents are common in South Africa’s ultra-deep gold mines. Three people died at the Kusasalethu mine in 2014.