Eleven miners have died and another 75 were injured in South Africa after an elevator carrying workers back up to the surface, malfunctioned and fell, the mine's operator said on Tuesday.

"Eighty-six employees were standing in the lifting mechanism when it unexpectedly started going down again," a spokesman for Impala Platinum told AFP, explaining 11 lost their lives and 75 were taken to hospital.

Impala Platinum said the "serious accident" happened on Monday in the late afternoon at its mine in Rustenburg, northwest of Johannesburg, as employees were leaving one of the shafts at the end of their shift.

"Our hearts are heavy for the lives lost and the individuals affected by this devastating accident," Impala Platinum's (Implats) CEO, Nico Muller, said in a statement.

Unexpected fall

"We are deeply shocked and saddened by the loss of our colleagues and are in the process of ensuring all next of kin have been contacted".

The company said 75 workers were injured and were transferred to local hospitals and admitted for treatment.

Implats spokesman Johan Theron said some were severely injured, most suffered from ankle and leg fractures, and others walked out with minor scratches.

Biggest producer

The accident happened shortly before 5pm (1500 GMT) on Monday as the lift hoisting employees "unexpectedly started descending", according to the company.

"Its rapid descent was stopped by the conveyance counterweight becoming trapped by the jack catches," it said in a statement.

South Africa is the world's leading platinum producing country. In 2022, mine production of platinum in South Africa reached an estimated 140 metric tonnes, according to Statista.

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