Five diamond miners trapped by mudslide presumed dead, South African minister says

Five diamond miners missing since Tuesday are now presumed dead, South African authorities said on Friday.

The miners were more than 800 metres underground when they were trapped by a mudslide at the Ekapa mine in the central city of Kimberly.

The country’s mining minister told reporters that it’s now a question of retrieving their bodies. She's also said an investigation would be launched to find out what happened.

The company that operates the mine said all work was stopped after the mudslide and rescue efforts are ongoing. “We are not giving up hope,” Ekapa Minerals’ General Manager said in a statement.

The Minerals Council of South Africa said this month that 41 people died last year - a record low and down from hundreds a year in recent decades.

Kimberly is renowned for its diamond mines and was at the heart of the global industry after diamonds were discovered in the area in the late 1800s.

South Africa is among the world's biggest producers of diamonds and gold, and the top producer of platinum.