An estimated 4,000 illegal miners are still trapped underground in a disused mine in Stilfontein, North West Province, South Africa, as rescue efforts remain on hold due to heavy rainfall, provincial police confirmed on Wednesday.
The miners, who are working in hazardous, abandoned mine shafts, have been trapped since November 2, when over 50 miners emerged from the relatively ‘safe’ Margaret shaft and reported that others were still underground. These miners are scattered in more dangerous sections of the mine, far from the safer exit point.
According to Sabata Mokgwabone, North West Police spokesperson, community-led rescue efforts began as soon as news of the incident broke, but the operation had to be suspended temporarily due to torrential rain. Mokgwabone confirmed to Xinhua news agency that the rescue mission would resume as soon as the weather clears.
‘Rescue operations have paused for now due to the heavy rain,’ Mokgwabone said in a phone interview. ‘We’re still at the shaft, and while operations are suspended, we are monitoring the situation.’
On Tuesday, several community members, using ropes, descended into the mine to assess the situation. They reported seeing thousands of trapped miners, along with several bodies, and provided food and water to those still alive. Police and medical teams were also at the scene, offering support to the community rescuers.
Authorities also confirmed that 55 illegal miners who had emerged from the mine in recent days were arrested for violating South Africa’s immigration laws and engaging in illegal mining activities. These miners, part of a broader group that regularly invades disused gold mines, are often from neighbouring countries such as Lesotho and Zimbabwe, searching for gold in the country’s aging mining infrastructure.
The incident in Stilfontein highlights the ongoing problem of illegal mining in South Africa, particularly in the provinces of North West, Gauteng, and the Free State, where abandoned mines have become hotspots for illegal activity. The South African government has ramped up its efforts to combat illegal mining through initiatives like Operation Vala Umgodi, which targets illegal miners and their operations. Hundreds of arrests have been made in recent months, as authorities try to curb the dangerous practice that continues to put lives at risk.
As the rescue efforts resume, the fate of the trapped miners remains uncertain. The community-led rescue efforts, alongside the ongoing police crackdown on illegal mining, illustrate the broader challenges facing South Africa as it grapples with the dangers posed by illegal mining and its social and economic implications.
Credit: Xinhua news agency & Africabriefing
