Miner Incident

Rescued mine workers emerge from an unaffected shaft at Harmony Gold's Elandsrand Mine in Carletonville, southwest of Johannesburg, South Africa, Thursday, Oct. 4, 2007. About 3,200 miners were trapped Wednesday when a pressurized air pipe snapped and tumbled down a shaft, causing extensive damage to steel work and an elevator, said the mine's chief operating officer.

A rescued mine worker reacts as he emerges from an unaffected shaft at Harmony Gold's Elandsrand Mine in Carletonville, southwest of Johannesburg, South Africa, Thursday, Oct. 4, 2007. More than 2,000 trapped gold miners in South Africa were rescued in a dramatic all-night operation, the remaining 1,200 miners were brought to the surface Thursday.

Miners exit the mine after being trapped over night at the Elandsrand gold mine near Carletonville, South Africa, Thursday, Oct. 4, 2007. Most of the miners who emerged into the blinding sunlight looked dazed and exhausted, but there were no signs of injury -- although one apparently dehydrated man rode away in an ambulance.

Miners who were trapped overnight are seen at the Elandsrand gold mine near Carletonville, South Africa, Thursday, Oct. 4, 2007. A dramatic all-night operation that extended throughout the day Thursday brought the terrified and exhausted workers to the surface.

A miner who was trapped receives medical assistance at the Elandsrand gold mine near Carletonville, South Africa, Thursday, Oct. 4, 2007.

Two of the miners who were trapped overnight smile as they are greeted at the Elandsrand gold mine near Carletonville, South Africa, Thursday, Oct. 4, 2007.

One of the miners who was trapped overnight smiles as he is greeted at the Elandsrand gold mine near Carletonville, South Africa, Thursday, Oct. 4, 2007.

Rescued miners walk away from the mine after they were trapped overnight at the Elandsrand Gold mine near Carletonville, south west of Johannesburg South Africa, Thursday, Oct. 4, 2007.

Female mine workers wait for their colleagues who were trapped more than a mile underground by an accident at Harmony Gold's Elandsrand Mine in Carletonville southwest of Johannesburg, South Africa, Thursday, Oct. 4, 2007.

Rescued miners walk free after they were trapped overnight at the Elandsrand Gold mine near Carletonville, south west of Johannesburg South Africa, Thursday, Oct. 4, 2007.

This April 12, 2001 satellite image shows the Elandsrand mine complex near Carletonville, South Africa. Some 3,000 gold miners were trapped a mile underground Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2007 when falling pipe damaged the elevator, but the company began evacuating workers through a smaller shaft. There were no injuries and there was no immediate danger to any of the workers in the mine, company and union officials said.

Here is what the Harmony Goldmine looked like three years ago, Oct. 27, 2004.