Central SA
Five mineworkers trapped after mudslide at Ekapa Mine in Kimberley─── ZENANDE MPAME 14:00 Tue, 17 Feb 2026
A search and rescue operation is underway to find five mine workers who have been trapped following a mudslide at the Ekapa Mine in Kimberley.
The incident took place approximately 890 m underground in Tunnel 6 on Tuesday (17/2) morning. Emergency teams were immediately dispatched, and underground rescue operations began in an effort to locate the trapped mineworkers.
A statement sent out by Ekapa Minerals confirmed that a mud rush incident occurred in the early hours of this morning at its Joint Shaft Mine and that five employees are unaccounted for.
Management said communication with the miners has been cut off, and they remain unreachable for now. Families of the missing miners have been informed. Rescue efforts are currently underway.
“We’re waiting for management to confirm for us what happened inside the mine, so we can hear what happened to those workers who are trapped underground,” said Kimberley Numsa local secretary Tshimologo Mahase. “It’s really concerning and really bad news what has happened here at Ekapa.”
The department of mineral resources and petroleum has reportedly been notified, and Ekapa is cooperating fully with the relevant authorities in line with statutory requirements.
‘Ekapa Minerals will not speculate on the cause’
All necessary specialist resources have been mobilised, and the priority remains the safety of employees and the effectiveness of the rescue efforts, said the statement. Families of the affected employees have been informed, and support measures are being put in place.
The mine requested that the privacy of the workers and their families be respected during what it described as a difficult time. “Ekapa Minerals will not speculate on the cause of the incident at this stage, but we are committed to transparent communication, high safety standards, and the well-being of our workforce,” it said.
This is not the first incident that has put Ekapa mine in the spotlight.
Incident in 2023
Two years ago, a mining development contractor was killed after a fall of ground in the old Dutoitspan mine shaft.
DFA reported in 2023 that investigations were underway at Ekapa mine in Central Road, Beaconsfield, after a mining contractor was tragically killed.
The CEO of Ekapa mining Jahn Hohne, indicated that this was the first fatality that was recorded at the diamond mines in Kimberley in the past ten years, since Ekapa took over the operation of the mines seven years ago.
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