A standoff between police and miners trapped in an abandoned gold mine in South Africa has ended with at least 87 deaths. The miners, who were working illegally, had their food supplies cut off by authorities, leading to widespread criticism.
The death toll rose after a court-ordered rescue operation retrieved 78 bodies from the mine. Authorities had initially refused to help the miners, instead using tactics to “smoke them out” that left many dead or dying from starvation and dehydration.
Community groups launched their own rescue attempts when authorities said they would not help the hundreds of miners due to concerns over their supposed criminal activities. The government has been accused of taking away essential equipment, including ropes and pulley systems, to make it harder for the miners to escape.
A court order had previously forced authorities to allow food and water to be sent down to the miners, while another ruling led to a rescue operation being launched. Many community members had reported seeing decomposing bodies and notes pleading for help before the official rescue.
The government has been criticized for its handling of the situation, with many calling for an independent inquiry into the events that led to the disaster. The Democratic Alliance party has called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to establish such an inquiry, citing “the scale of the disaster underground” and “why the situation was allowed to get so badly out of hand”.
The standoff highlights the ongoing problem of illegal mining in South Africa, where thousands of miners work in abandoned mines with little regulation or oversight. The incident has sparked widespread anger and calls for accountability from authorities.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/miners-mine-south-africa-dead-80a1a4809371269b592bf3e2695540ba