“Illegal” Miners Dead
February 26th, 2009Five Illegal miners made the news after their bodies were found underground at a Consort mine in Barberton on Saturday the 21st of February.
It is alleged that a fire lit while conducting illegal mining activity consumed them. The area was sealed off, safety precautions were taken and no mine employees were harmed.
Subsequent to this, fifteen more bodies have been found and it is estimated that there may still be more undiscovered bodies.
The mine’s general manager Casper Strydom said that government should send rescue teams to assist in the retrieval of the bodies.
Four of the bodies have been recovered since Sunday the 22nd but the rescue workers could not retrieve the rest as the toxic gases and smoke emitting from the site did not allow for it.
The mine’s general manager Casper Strydom reported that the mine has had alot of problems with gold thieves; The problem’s severity is that the thieves are underground everyday and steal gold during the mine’s off period.
He also added that the thieves are often armed and had been spotted with ammunition and AK 47 rifles.
Source: Various
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