Rescue workers have recovered at least sixty bodies from one of South Africa’s deepest gold mines. The illegal miners were trapped for months in the mine located in Stilfontein, approximately 150 kilometers southwest of Johannesburg.
Police had surrounded the mine since last summer, hoping the miners would emerge through the last remaining exit. Initially, the government did not plan to assist the miners.
The Interior Minister stated in November, “We will smoke them out. They will come out.” However, a court mandated the government to carry out a rescue mission, which commenced last Monday.
Since then, 106 survivors have been extracted and subsequently arrested for illegal mining activities. The operation is expected to continue for several days, with potentially hundreds of miners still trapped underground.
Source: NOS