"Mine fatalities in South Africa rise first time in decade", 8 Dec 2017

For the first time in almost a decade, more people are dying in South African mines, the world’s deepest and among the most dangerous. There were 81 fatalities from January through November, according to data from the Chamber of Mines, an industry lobby group...That’s the first increase in nine years, and compares with 73 in 2016, the lowest on record...South African miners are having to go deeper in ageing shafts to access additional ore in a country that’s been mined commercially for over a century. Most miners killed [in 2017] labored in gold and platinum mines, which can extend more than 2 miles (3 kilometers) underground. They accounted for 57 of 73 deaths in 2016, according to the chamber....Operators in South Africa still use labor-intensive mining methods such as hand drilling. Miners could reduce fatalities -- and increase profit margins -- by automating their operations. But such a switch is difficult to make and would require thousands of layoffs. The mining industry employs about half a million people, and its blue-collar workforce is the backbone of the country’s labor movement.