Mining Affected Communities United in Action said at least 400 men were trapped in the abandoned mine and many were believed to have died.
Rescue workers have recovered illegal miners and several bodies from an abandoned gold mine in South Africa, where hundreds may have been trapped and at least 100 may already be dead, according to reports.
A specialist mine rescue company sent a large cage into a mine shaft on Monday near Stilfontein, about 140 kilometers (90 miles) southwest of Johannesburg.
“I can confirm that the machine is working. Mzukisi Jam of the South African National Citizens’ Organization (SANCO) told reporters at the mine:
At least four bodies were also recovered, according to community leader Johannes Qankase.
Sabelo Mguni, spokesman for the Coalition of Mining Affected Communities (MACUA), said a mobile phone sent to the ground with some of the miners rescued last Friday contained two videos showing dozens of bodies wrapped in plastic underground.
Mnguni said at least 100 people were killed at the mine, where police first launched an operation last November to drive miners away from illegal mining. The miners are suspected to have died of starvation or dehydration, Mnguni said.
He said nine bodies were recovered in a community-led operation on Friday. Mguni said authorities’ official rescue operation on Monday rescued nine more people and rescued 26 survivors.
South African Police Service spokesperson Sabata Mokgwabone said information was still being confirmed on how many bodies had been recovered and how many survivors had been rescued after launching a new rescue operation.
Authorities are now hoping to get all survivors out of the mine.
The mine has been the scene of standoffs between police and miners since authorities first attempted to rescue people and seal the mine two months ago.
Police said the miners refused to leave the Buffelsfontein gold mine for fear of arrest, but MACUA’s Mnguni said miners were trapped underground after police removed the rope and pulley system they used to get in and out of the mine.
“The depth of the shaft is 2 km. It is impossible for a person to climb up.” MACUA’s Magnificent Mndebele said:
South Africa’s Sunday Times newspaper reported that the company leading the rescue effort had designed a special cage that could be lowered up to 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) into the mine shaft, and that if all goes according to plan, the rescue operation would last 16 days.
MACUA won a court case last December ordering police and local authorities to send food, water and medicine to the miners.
Illegal mining is common in gold-rich areas of South Africa. Many times, companies close mines that are no longer profitable and informal miners enter the gold mines illegally to try to find remaining deposits.
Large groups of illegal miners often go underground for months, taking food, water, generators and other equipment with them to maximize profits, but they also rely on others above ground to send them more supplies.
Police are not sure exactly how many illegal miners remain underground, but say it could be in the hundreds.
South African authorities have long been trying to crack down on illegal mining gangs known as “Zama Zamas”, which means “scammers” in Zulu, and are notorious for being violent, often armed and part of a criminal network.
MACUA’s Mnguni said this group of trapped miners were not criminals but former mine employees who were left in despair after being laid off from their jobs when the mines closed.
“Miners go back to the mines because they live in poverty,” he said.
