BARBERTON – Families of the Lily Mine trapped victims should brace themselves for a further eight months waiting period for the bodies to be finally recovered.

This is according to a statement released by the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union(AMCU).

“We met with Mine Management, Industrial Development Cooperation (IDC) and the Minister of Mineral Resources Msebenzi Zwane on Friday to finalise the dialogues about the implementation of building a decline shaft in order to recover the container and this might take up to eight months to complete,” AMCU said in the statement.

The association revealed that some progress had been made towards the rescue mission including the raising of much needed funds.

Read: Lily Mine husband has hope after dreaming wife is alive

Previously, it was estimated that it would take six months to open a new shaft that would lead to where the victims had been trapped.

Read: Family members of Lily Mine victims saddened by slow process

Yvonne Mnisi, Solomon Nyarenda and Pretty Nkambule remain trapped after the mine collapsed and their container sunk in February.