At least 11 miners have died at Impala Platinum Mine.
The mining company said a number of people sustained serious injuries during the incident at their operations in Rustenburg in North West on Thursday.
Impala Platinum (Implats) said it had launched a rescue effort following the incident at its Rustenburg Mines in which “several serious injuries” were reported after a cable malfunctioned and caused a cage, carrying workers, to plunge below.
Implats said the safety incident involved a winder rope at 11 shaft.
"This rope is connected to the personnel conveyance, which hoists employees up and down the shaft. The conveyance comprises three levels, each with a capacity to carry 35 personnel.
"Initial reports indicate that there have been serious injuries, but an accurate assessment of the full human impacts of the accident is not currently possible, given the complexity of the rescue operation," Implats said.
