All 955 workers from a gold mine in South Africa have been safely brought back to the surface.

They had been trapped underground since a power cut struck on Wednesday night.

“Everybody’s out,” said James Wellsted, a spokesman for the operating firm Sibanye-Stillwater. He said there were “cases of dehydration and high blood pressure but nothing serious”.

South Africa is a leading gold producer, but safety in the industry is often questioned.

The Beatrix mine is in Welkom town, about 290km (180 miles) south-west of Johannesburg. It is owned by Sibanye-Stillwater mining firm.

It has 23 levels, going down to 1,000 metres (3,280 ft) below ground.

The accident is thought to have occurred when a storm knocked over an electricity pylon close to the site, triggering a huge power cut.