A mineworker at Gold Fields' Kloof mine in Carletonville has died after being struck by a snatch block, the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) said today. Spokesperson Lesiba Seshoka said in a statement that the mineworker was working a night shift yesterday when he was killed.

The latest death takes to 145 the number of mineworkers killed while on duty this year said Seshoka. "NUM regrets the accident and calls on the Mineral Resources Department to order shaft closure in terms of section 54 of the Mine Health and Safety Act," Seshoka said.

The union called on its members to observe a day of mourning in line with the organisation's resolution. Seshoka said contrary to what many argue, death in the mining industry remained a corporate norm. "Those who hint that the figures are down may never have gone through the pain of losing a loved one through deliberate acts of both ignorance and negligence," he said. A Gold Fields spokesman could not be reached immediately for comment.-Sapa