Ten illegal artisanal miners remain trapped in a flooded mine shaft in Krugersdorp, west of Johannesburg.
Ten illegal artisanal miners remain trapped in a flooded mine shaft in Krugersdorp, west of Johannesburg.
Relatives have expressed frustration with the lack of action from police and the department of mineral and petroleum resources, saying they have not shown “firm commitment” to rescue efforts.
The families and other locals have tried to locate and rescue the miners, but have faced numerous difficulties in the past three weeks, including rising water levels in the shaft.
Earlier this month, the Mail & Guardian reported that a large group were trapped in the abandoned shaft in Luipaardsvlei.
Witnesses reported hearing tapping and knocking sounds from the 10 miners, indicating that they may still be alive.
“I understand that there were 17 who went underground and then from the 17, 10 tried to dig themselves out and went to another tunnel to find an exit, but somehow they can’t get back,” a relative of one of the trapped men, who declined to be named, said on Monday.
“They are still trying to dig their way out.”
From the seven who remained, two swam through the flooded shaft and resurfaced early last week.
“Four of them drowned and the one who remained was waiting for the water level to go down. Then, late last week, he came out and then he gave the information that there are 10 other guys and they are still stuck.”
On Sunday, Gauteng police said they had been called to a scene where five decomposed bodies “that seem to be of zama zamas” were recovered at the old abandoned mine, situated at the corner of the N14 and R28 in Krugersdorp/Kagiso.
The police said they were notified by a member of the public who noticed the bodies as he was walking past.
“The scene where these bodies were recovered is the boundary of Krugersdorp and Kagiso precinct area. It appears that the bodies were taken out from underground and dumped at the scene to be discovered,” the statement said, adding that two inquest cases would be registered in Kagiso for two bodies and Krugersdorp for three bodies.
The relative said three of those bodies were of four of the trapped illegal artisanal miners, who had drowned underground and whose bodies were retrieved by other illegal miners last week. A fourth body is missing.
“Not far from that shaft, there is a dumping site, two other guys went inside a tunnel there and rocks and rubble fell down on them and they died instantly,” the relative said.
A resident, who requested anonymity, said relatives did not want the bodies of the drowned men to be dropped off at the roadside because they would “not be connected” to the other men that needed to be rescued.
“They drowned in that shaft and we need to remind everyone that there are still men alive down there. How can we get more help if there is no proof that people lost their lives down there.
The relative said he had gone into the shaft last week as the water level subsided. “These guys who are used to underground, they wanted to check the water level. We saw some dead bodies inside the water and then they said they would report it [to the authorities].
“We were crawling, we were walking inside water, it was very tough and it took me almost three hours going inside and coming back. Now the water level has risen again.
He said the police were “just arresting people, instead of helping us”.
He said his nephew is probably among the group of 10 men who remain trapped. “He’s still stuck on the other side, because I understand that they were trying to dig to find another exit to go up, but that guy who came out on Thursday, he was saying he last heard their hammer three days back, which means by [last] Monday they were still alive.
“We are stuck as a family, there’s nothing we can do. For three weeks nothing has been done. If there is something that can be done, maybe we can get them back … if that guy came out on Thursday, then it might be possible, they are still alive.”
The resident added: “We’ve now got three people who know exactly where these [10] guys are. They feel that if the water level drops again, they could dig them out. These guys have been tapping and knocking with a hammer or a rock to indicate that they are alive.
“Now, I’m sitting with the knowledge that there are people down there and to the world, there is nothing happening there.”