All Five Miners Trapped in Kimberley's Ekapa Mine Successfully Recovered After Mudslide

• All five miners trapped in Kimberley's Ekapa Mine have been recovered after last month's mudslide
• Recovery operations concluded on Monday, 23 March 2026, providing closure for families affected by the tragic incident
• The mining company estimated an 18-month timeline to clear the mudslide at the impacted shaft

Justin Williams, a journalist at Briefly News since 2024, covers South Africa’s current affairs. Before joining Briefly News, he served as a writer and chief editor at Right for Education Africa’s South African chapter.

NORTHERN CAPE, KIMBERLEY - All five miners who were trapped underground at Ekapa Mine in Kimberley have been recovered, bringing an end to the search operation following last month's mudslide.

All missing miners accounted for

According to EWN, the final recoveries were completed in the early hours of Monday, 23 March 2026, after two bodies were pulled from the site on Sunday, 22 March 2026, and another had been found about two weeks earlier. Mine Rescue Service CEO Mannas Fourie said the operation had concluded with all missing miners accounted for. He said the recovery aimed to provide closure to the families and expressed appreciation for the rescue teams involved.

Read also

Two more bodies recovered from Ekapa Mine mudslide incident

The five workers had been trapped underground after a mudslide at the Kimberley-based mine last month, prompting an intensive search effort and the suspension of operations. The company previously indicated it could take at least 18 months to clear the mudslide at the affected shaft. Parliament's Mineral Resources Committee has been providing updates on the recovery process.

Other mine-related stories

Minister Gwede Mantashe has arrived at the Ekapa Mine Joint Shaft in Kimberley as five miners remain trapped nearly a kilometre underground. Seventy-four hours have passed since tons of wet mud flooded Tunnel 6 at the Ekapa Mining operation. The company has intensified pumping and drilling efforts, but rescuers have still not made contact with the miners. Community members have begun gathering outside the mine ahead of the minister's visit.

Family members of the mineworkers trapped underground at the Ekapa Minerals Mine in Kimberley are not giving up hope. Five workers have been trapped at least 890 metres underground in Tunnel 6 after a mudslide on 17 February 2026. Rising water levels underground have continued to complicate rescue operations at the mine. The owners of the mine have also indicated that they plan to close the business due to insurmountable financial challenges. They added that the downturn in the global diamond market worsened matters and influenced its liquidation decision.

Read also

"The prophecy is accurate": Ghanaians say Prophet Immanuel Light's crash prediction came true

Gwede Mantashe believes that the five miners trapped at the Ekapa Minerals Mine in Kimberly should be presumed dead. Mantashe, the Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, made the comments while responding to questions in Parliament on Tuesday, 3 March 2026. Mantashe was questioned about the mop-up and rescue operations at the mine following a mudslide at the mine. Speaking about the operations at the mine, Mantashe confirmed that mud and stones had been cleared from the east and west of the affected shaft up to a distance of 74 metres.

Source: Briefly News