Dozens of bodies pulled from South African mine, fears for hundreds of other miners

Rescuers have recovered multiple bodies from an abandoned gold mine in South Africa, while reports suggest hundreds more remain trapped underground, and many have already died. According to an organization representing miners on Monday, at least 100 men illegally mining in the abandoned mine have been trapped deep underground for months, and police have been attempting to rescue them.

The rescue operation on Monday follows weeks of events at the abandoned mine. Previously, authorities were accused of trying to force the miners to surface by cutting off the supply of food and water to them from surrounding communities. It is currently unclear how many people are inside the mine, although reports last November suggested there could be as many as 4,000 people underground, while police say the actual number is likely in the hundreds.

Mineral Resources and Energy Department spokesman, Makgosonke Buthelezi, stated that bodies have been recovered from the mine, but further details would not be released until a formal report is issued. Video footage verified by Reuters showed dozens of bodies and emaciated men inside the mine. Volunteer rescuers have been assisting the miners. The videos were obtained on Monday by the South African miners' rights organization, the Mining Affected Communities United in Action (MACUA), from miners who emerged from the North West province gold mine on January 10, when a pulley was restored to the bottom of the mine.

Police stated they cut off food and water supplies to the miners to force them out and arrest them for illegally entering the abandoned mine to search for leftover gold—part of a crackdown on illegal mining that has plagued South Africa for decades. Jessica Lawrence, head of a Johannesburg human rights law firm, said the miners are in an "extremely dire situation." She said, "We know some of the miners are in a very critical condition, and these are the first that are being selected for rescue now that a formal state rescue operation has begun."

Ms. Lawrence stated that communities and human rights lawyers have been calling for the state to rescue the miners for months. “The obligation to rescue the miners lies squarely with the state, as it is the state that has created this crisis through its actions,” she said. MACUA spokesperson, Magnificent Mndebele, said more than 400 miners are still awaiting rescue after a two-month standoff with South African police. Mndebele stated that a pulley system used to transport supplies to the miners, which enabled them to come out, was sabotaged, but MACUA repaired it on January 9. “The mine is 2km deep. It’s impossible for people to climb out,” he said.

A lawyer defending miners hiding in the abandoned gold mine said they are suffering from food shortages, and police are prepared to arrest them when they surface. Mr. Buthelezi confirmed that South African authorities are on-site at the mine, equipped with machinery, preparing for a planned rescue operation this week. “The pulley system was installed by community members but has been replaced by machinery being used by the mine rescue services,” he said. “Mine rescue services are contracted by the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy.”