Sibanye Gold Ltd. blamed the series of recent fatalities at its South African mines on the workers, Bloomberg News reported June 12.

Company spokesman James Wellsted said the deaths are being caused by employees not following safety procedures.

"We think a lot of it is behavioral and due to people taking risks and not following safety procedures," he said.

In a same-day release, Sibanye said a fourth body was found at its Ikamva mine, part of the Kloof gold operations, following an accident involving five miners who entered an abandoned working area.

Operations at the Kloof Ikamva shaft were suspended for a day of mourning, the company said, adding that the search for the fifth employee continues.