Vedanta Zinc International said last Saturday that mining has started again at its Gamsberg mine in South Africa following a closure last November when the pit wall collapsed, trapping miners underground.

"The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy granted permission to commence stockpile feed and mining at the East pit in the last portion of December, followed by permission to commence mining at the West Pit in the first week of January," Vedanta Zinc International management said. "No ore mining production occurred last December, with a gradual ramp-up expected in January." The company did not specify what capacity it is operating at.

At full production capacity in phase 1, Gamsberg will produce 250,000 tonnes a year of zinc in concentrate, according to Vedanta's website.