Rescuers Recover More Bodies as Illegal Mining Crisis Deepens – Africa.com
Rescue efforts at an abandoned gold mine in Steelfontein, South Africa, have uncovered six more bodies, bringing the death toll to 15. The rescue operation has now entered its second day and 34 people have been rescued. However, dozens of illegal miners, known locally as “Zama Zamas”, are still trapped underground. Last year, authorities in Steelfontein took a tough stance against illegal mining and aimed to clear out those involved. To do this, they began blocking the supply of food and water to underground miners. However, a court last week ordered authorities to facilitate rescue operations for miners still underground. As rescue operations began on Monday, disturbing videos emerged showing emaciated survivors of the lockdown and bodies in makeshift body bags, underscoring the dire conditions. As a result, community leaders and unions dubbed the incident the “Steelefontein Massacre” and accused officials of inhumane policies.
source: British Broadcasting Corporation
