Johannesburg - Engineers are inspecting shaft infrastructure at two of AngloGold Ashanti's Vaal River mines, following an earthquake that has left seventeen employees injured.
"AngloGold Ashanti confirms that an earthquake of 5.3 magnitude occurred near its Vaal River operations in South Africa, at a depth of roughly 8km.
"Early indications are that 17 of our employees at the Great Noligwa and Moab Khotsong mines sustained minor injuries and are being attended to on site by emergency medical staff," said AngloGold Ashanti spokesperson Chris Nthite in a statement.
Power was temporarily interrupted and had since been mostly restored, he said. Engineers had begun clearing shafts.
"Our priority is the safe passage of our employees from underground. Engineers are inspecting shaft infrastructure, and at those shafts where this work is complete, hoisting of people to surface has already begun."
He said AngloGold Ashanti's West Wits operations were not affected.
AngloGold Ashant, Harmony Gold [JSE:HAR], Gold Fields
[JSE:GFI] and Sibanye Gold [JSE:SGL] said they felt earthquake in their headquarters.