Wednesday, October 3, 2007

Mine accident in South Africa

3000 employees of a gold mine in South Africa have been trapped -- this happened when a pipe burst and cut power to an elevator cable. The mine operators insist everyone's okay and that they're going to lift their people out though an adjacent elevator -- just as soon as they get around to it -- and there's plenty of ventilation. The union says otherwise, that air is sparse and that this is going to be a colossal disaster.

One can only cross their fingers that it won't be. South Africa has an appalling safety record when it comes to mines, with the United States and Mainland China faring not that much better.

My father tells me that he was once offered a job in a mine but he refused saying he didn't want to "work under two skies" -- whatever that means. Although I'm beginning to get it.

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