At least 400 miners are still trapped underground in South Africa two months after a police raid. Footage obtained by a local rights group, Mining Affected Communities United in Action (MACUA), shows dozens of dead bodies and emaciated men in the mine.
The videos, verified by Reuters, show piles of miners’ bodies wrapped in sacks and plastic, while living miners who are still stuck plead for help. Police blocked miners’ supplies of food and water to force them out and arrest them for entering the abandoned mine in search of leftover gold.
Rescue efforts are underway, with South African authorities preparing for a planned rescue this week. A spokesperson for the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy said bodies had been retrieved from the mine, but no further details could be released ahead of an official report.
MACUA’s spokesperson, Magnificent Mndebele, stated that someone destroyed the pulley system used to lower supplies, but it was restored by the group. The rescue services are using machinery instead, and it is deemed impossible for people to climb up the 2km-deep shaft.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/footage-shows-dozens-dead-miners-trapped-after-south-africa-police-raid-2025-01-13