Rescue workers free enclosed men from gold mine in South Africa

Rescue workers free enclosed men from gold mine in South Africa

The South African government has launched a rescue operation in an abandoned gold mine in the province of Northwest, where at least 109 men were killed. This was reported by a group that the miners represented after the local authorities had cut virtuous deliveries to stop the illegal mining in the country.

tragic situation in the style fontin-mine

According to the "Mining Affected Communities United in Action" (MacUA), the corpses of 100 men remain trapped in the style fontin mine. On Monday, rescue workers were able to rescue nine corpses from the shaft, and 20 survivors were saved.

hunger and dehydration as the cause of death

meshack Mbangula, the head of Macua, told CNN that the men may have died of hunger and dehydration. While the reports about the number of enclosed vary, Mbangula estimated that there were still around 500 people underground. The conditions in the deep shafts continue to deteriorate.

alarming video recordings

A video section shared by Mbangula shows several corpses that are packed in plastic. On the video, which was filmed by one of the miners last week, you can also see bare, emaciated men with protruding bones and ribs. In one scene, a man asks for help on Zulu, while another asks: "How many days do we have to live in such a situation?"

call for help from the miners

A letter from the miners who are available CNN describes the bleak conditions from which they suffer. It says: "Please get us out of here. Please help us get out or at least give us food, because we have 109 dead and need plastic to wrap them up because the stench is unbearable."

Police criticism and delay in rescue measures

community leading groups like Macua have tried to help the trapped miners for months. In November, the police and the responsible authorities interrupted the food and water supply to force miners to leave the dangerous shafts. This measure was sharply criticized by Community organizations and the South African trade union association (Saftu) and described as "maliciously" with the fear that it could end in a tragedy.

court order to save the miners

In November, a South African court had that the police stop their measures, make food available to the miners and allow the rescue teams access to the mine. The South Africa (Sahrc) human rights Commission also examines the police for the interruption of vital deliveries to the miners.

new rescue attempt

on Sunday, under the pressure of the public and reports on many already deceased, the Ministry of Mineral Resources and Energy announced that preparations for a rescue operation in the abandoned shaft began. The Ministry emphasized that the decision to send rescue workers was made independently and was not based on a court decision.

The reality of illegal mining in South Africa

South Africa counts up to 100,000 illegal miners who are known locally as “Zama Zamas”. Most of the minerals obtained from this mining are sold on the black market, according to the juice. The country loses over $ 1 billion annually through illegal mining, which is associated with violent clashes between competing groups.