A minimum of 400 unlawful miners remained trapped underground in South Africa two months after a police raid, a bunch engaged on behalf of the miners mentioned on Monday, which supplied footage of dozens of lifeless our bodies and emaciated males within the mine.
A spokesperson for the South Africa Police Service (SAPS) didn’t reply to a request for remark. Makhosonke Buthelezi, spokesperson for the Division of Mineral Sources and Power, mentioned our bodies had been retrieved from the mine however mentioned no additional particulars could possibly be divulged forward of an official report.
The 2 movies, which Reuters verified, have been obtained by South African miners’ rights group Mining Affected Communities United in Motion (MACUA) on Monday. They acquired them from miners rising from the gold mine in North West Province on Jan. 10, when a pulley was restored to the underside of the cavern.
A Reuters reporter counted what regarded like three dozen our bodies within the footage. Reuters couldn’t independently affirm that the body-shaped objects wrapped in plastic on the backside of the mine shaft have been corpses.
The primary movie reportedly confirmed piles of miners’ our bodies wrapped in sacks and plastic, whereas residing miners who’re nonetheless caught underground pleaded for assist. A second video confirmed shirtless miners trying emaciated, with their ribs protruding.
Police mentioned they blocked miners’ provides of meals and water to power them out and arrest them for illegally getting into the deserted mine in the hunt for leftover gold – a part of a crackdown on unlawful mining that has plagued South Africa for many years.
MACUA spokesperson Magnificent Mndebele mentioned there are greater than 400 miners nonetheless ready to be rescued two months after a standoff with South African police.
Mndebele mentioned somebody had destroyed a pulley system which was used for reducing provides to the miners, – and enabling them to get out, however MACUA restored it on January 9.
“The shaft is 2 kilometres deep. It is unimaginable for individuals to climb up,” Mndebele mentioned.
South African authorities are at present on the mine with equipment, getting ready for a deliberate rescue this week, Buthelezi confirmed.
“The pulley system was put in place by neighborhood members, but it surely has been changed with equipment utilized by mine rescue providers,” he mentioned. “The mine rescue providers have been contracted by the Division of Mineral Sources and Power.”
