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31 illegal miners die underground in Free State
Methane levels at the shaft are too high to send search and rescue teams to retrieved the bodies.
The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy says it received information that other illegal miners had retrieved three of the bodies and brought them to the surface. Picture: iStock
At least 31 suspected illegal miners, believed to be Lesotho nationals, have died in a ventilation shaft at Virginia mine in Welkom, Free State.
The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) confirmed the incident, saying the miners died in a mine ventilation shaft last operational in the 1990s.
The department says it received information that other illegal miners had retrieved three of the bodies and brought them to the surface.
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Previous mine owners Harmony Gold Mining Company and the department have assessed the situation and determined that methane levels were very high.
“As such, it is currently too risky to dispatch a search team to the shaft. However, we are considering various options to deal with the situation speedily,” said the department.
“Although this is a unique and strange situation, all relevant stakeholders will endeavour to ensure that the suspected deceased illegal miners are brought to the surface.”
Even more bizarre, the department confirmed that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Relations of the Kingdom of Lesotho told the High Commission of South Africa that on 18
May 2023, a group of suspected illegal miners died in a mine ventilation shaft which was last operational in the 1990s.
