VAAL REEFS ELEVATOR DISASTER - Get the Help of a Lawyer

If you've been injured after an elevator disaster and need a lawyer, please fill out our simple Elevator Accident Form. The following news report is an extreme case of how deadly an elevator accident can be. Imagine the families that were affected, and what impact the loss of their breadwinners meant to their future security.

May 10, 1995 - 105 Killed

Deep, dirty, and dangerous - the life of a South African goldminer is often short and brutal. More than 69,000 miners were killed in work-related accidents between 1911 and 1994. On May 10, 1995, this horrific safety record worsened when 105 miners tumbled to their death down a lift shaft at the Vaal Reefs gold mine. The tragedy is the worst elevator disaster ever recorded, according to reports. The elevator entombing the miners gained such vicious velocity that on impact it collapsed to a third of its original size.

"A two-floor mining elevator was crushed into a one-floor tin box," said Union President James Motlatsi immediately after the tragedy. The disaster struck when a runaway train plunged down Vaal Reef's No.2 shaft. The train crashed on top of an elevator carrying miners to the deep gold seams - sending those trapped inside hurtling to their death 2.3 kilometers (1.4 miles) below the surface.

The grossly contorted state of the elevator after its fall meant identifying the victims was a long and grim process. The train's driver managed to survive after jumping clear before the train careered down the shaft. The locomotive had entered the wrong tunnel and crashed through steel barriers intended to stop smaller machinery.

Source:
http://www.usmra.com/saxsewell/vaalreef.htm

Click To Talk To Us Online

Please complete the following questionnaire:

Name
Email
Phone Number
Best time to call
City/State
Were you injured on an	escalator elevator
What are your injuries and how did they happen?
How did you hear about Weitz & Luxenberg
Additional comments

Escalator Disaster

Deadly Wooden Escalator Fire - Kings Cross Fire
Kings Cross Fire: Wooden Escalator causes 31 deaths in London subways.

Breaking Elevator Accident News

Elevator accidents in the news: Breaking news stories
Want to keep current about elevator accidents? Get breaking news here

News & Warnings

Escalator Accident Lawyers - Escalator Safety
Escalator Accident Lawyers - We want you to be safe riding escalators.

Name

Phone

strictly confidential

Your Question