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| A gold mine in South Africa | Photo: Reuters |
Rescue efforts are underway to rescue workers trapped in an abandoned gold mine in the South African town of Stellenbosch. Rescuers on Tuesday pulled bags of dead bodies and survivors from the mine. It is believed that many illegal miners are still trapped at least two kilometers underground.
The workers were illegally digging in the mine. The standoff began when authorities cut off food, water, and other supplies to the workers and took steps to force them out.
Police said 82 people have been rescued alive and 36 bodies have been recovered from the mine since the rescue operation began last Monday.
Yesterday the BBC saw more than 80 miners being taken to a medical tent in dilapidated condition.
The men have been in hiding since a nationwide police crackdown on illegal mining began last year. Authorities claim the workers entered the mine shafts without permission. Authorities then took a tough stance to get them out, cutting off food and water supplies. "We will force them out," a minister said at the time.
Yesterday, while the rescue operation was underway, Mining Minister Gwaed Mantashe told a press conference that the fight against the illegal mining economy and its fight against it needed to be intensified.
It is learned that more than 100 illegal workers have died since the crackdown last year. The authorities have not yet officially announced the death toll. Relatives of the workers in the area are protesting for the rescue of the trapped workers.