A minimum of 100 illegal miners have tragically died after being trapped in an abandoned gold mine in South Africa for several months, according to a group advocating for mining-affected communities.
Sabelo Mnguni, a spokesperson for the Mining Affected Communities United in Action (MACUA), revealed to The Associated Press that videos retrieved from a mobile phone sent to the surface with rescued miners depicted dozens of bodies wrapped in plastic deep underground.
The tragedy occurred in a mine located in North West Province, where police had been attempting to remove the miners since November.
“It’s believed that the men succumbed to starvation or dehydration,” Mnguni said. He added that 18 bodies had been recovered since Friday, with nine retrieved by local community efforts and another nine recovered during an official operation on Monday. Authorities also rescued 26 survivors that same day.
Police spokesperson Sebata Mokgwabone confirmed that authorities were still verifying the number of recovered bodies and survivors, with rescue efforts ongoing.