At least 100 men who were mining illegally in an abandoned gold mine in South Africa have died of suspected starvation and dehydration after being trapped deep underground for months, a group representing the miners said Monday. More than 500 others are still trapped.
The Mining Affected Communities United in Action Group (MACUA) reported that police removed ropes from the entrance to the mine, leaving miners stranded, and cut off their food supplies to force them out. The group criticized this action, saying it was a “cruel” move.
Cellphone videos sent by rescuers showed dozens of dead bodies wrapped in plastic lying in darkened tunnels. A preliminary autopsy report confirmed one of the victims died from starvation.
MACUA spokesman Sabelo Mnguni said the miners were not criminals but former mine employees who lost their jobs when mines closed. “The miners go back to the mine because they live in poverty,” he said.
Police are still verifying information on how many bodies have been recovered and how many survivors brought out after starting a new rescue operation on Monday. Authorities hope to bring all of the miners out, but the operation is ongoing.
Illegal mining is common in South Africa, where companies close down mines that are no longer profitable, leaving groups of informal miners to enter them illegally. The mine in question near Stilfontein has been the scene of a standoff between police and miners since authorities attempted to get the miners out two months ago.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/south-africa-mine-miners-illegal-0ec092f92db6b59ebcf1f85b287a488c