36 dead, 82 miners rescued in South Africa's gold mine tragedy

Johannesburg: A total of 118 illegal miners were rescued during ongoing operations at an abandoned gold mine in Stilfontein, located in South Africa’s North West Province. The South African Police Service confirmed that 36 miners have died, with rescue efforts continuing into the second day.

As of Tuesday afternoon, 118 miners had been brought to safety, including 82 on the second day of operations. On the first day, 35 miners were rescued, but nine were confirmed dead. On the second day, 83 miners were rescued, including 56 alive and 27 dead.

South African Police Service spokesperson Athlenda Mathe reported that 82 individuals have been arrested on charges of illegal mining, trespassing, and violating the Immigration Act.

South African Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, Gwede Mantashe, and Police Minister Senzo Mchunu visited the site to oversee the rescue operation. Mantashe condemned the situation, calling it "criminal" and accusing it of being "an attack by foreigners." Many of the illegal miners are believed to be from neighboring countries.

This mining crisis has been unfolding for months, with over 1,500 illegal miners surfacing from the area so far. In late 2024, at least eight bodies were recovered from the mine. Authorities have also dealt with similar illegal mining activities in other regions, such as Mpumalanga, where 16 miners were rescued in December from an old shaft.

National Commissioner of the South African Police Service (SAPS), Sehlahle Fannie Masemola, emphasized the need for an integrated, multi-disciplinary approach to combat illegal mining in the country’s hotspot provinces, including North West and Mpumalanga.

The ongoing rescue in Stilfontein is part of a broader issue of illegal mining in South Africa, a challenge that has led to multiple casualties and arrests in recent months.

With IANS inputs