SOUTH AFRICAN unions demanded government action to address the mining industry’s “deteriorating and poor safety record” today after at least four people died in an earthquake at a gold mine.

Workers were trapped underground at Sibanye-Stillwater’s Masakhane mine near Johannesburg after the 2.2-magnitude quake struck yesterday. 

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) said it was “alarmed” at the worsening situation in South Africa’s mines, with the latest incident happening just months after more than 1,000 workers were trapped underground at another Sibanye-Stillwater operation in Beatrix in the Free State.