Seventeen miners have been trapped underground after a fire at Doornkop mine west of Johannesburg, South Africa.

Rescue workers are now trying to free the Harmony Gold miners.

Harmony Gold said they had made contact with eight miners who they hoped to bring to the surface shortly.

Seventeen miners have been trapped underground after a fire at Doornkop mine west of Johannesburg

The fire began on Tuesday evening at some 1,700 m (5,578 ft) below ground.

It is still unclear how it started.

The Harmony Gold team has left the “Mining Indaba”, Africa’s largest annual mining conference, being held in Cape Town.

The meeting has been overshadowed by a major strike which is currently crippling the South Africa’s platinum production.

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