South Africa’s Stilfontein mine: Six bodies recovered as rescue continues

Six more bodies have been recovered from a South African mine as efforts continue for a second day to help illegal miners still believed to be at least 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) underground, according to NGOs. A national umbrella organisation, Sanco, has told the BBC.

Eight people emerged alive on Tuesday, adding to the 26 rescued on Monday when they were hoisted up the defunct mine shaft in a cage operated by a crane on the surface. Nine bodies were recovered on Monday.

The men have been underground since the start of police operations targeting illegal mining across the country last year.

Last week, a court ordered the government to facilitate a long-delayed rescue operation.

This story contains a video that some may find disturbing.

Last year, arguing that miners had deliberately entered shafts in Stilfontein without permission, authorities cracked down, cutting off food and water supplies.

In November, a government minister said: “We’re going to smoke them out.”

And as the rescue mission continued on Tuesday, Mining Minister Gwede Mantashe told a press conference that illegal mining was a war on the economy and the fight against it needed to be intensified.

More than 100 illegal miners, known locally as “Zama Zamas”, have died underground since the crackdown began at the mine, about 145 kilometers (90 miles) southwest of Johannesburg.

However, authorities have not confirmed the figure as it has yet to be confirmed “by an official source”, a spokesman told the BBC.

On Tuesday, the BBC saw dozens of emaciated miners – wearing tattered clothes and no shoes or socks – being carried out of the mine by medical professionals.

yesterday, Disturbing videos have emerged showing the dire conditions of the defunct gold mine.

In one of the films, which has not been independently verified by the BBC, bodies can be seen wrapped in makeshift body bags. A second shows the faint figures of some of the miners still alive.

Hundreds are believed to still be in the mine, while more than 1,000 have surfaced in the past few months.

In a video released by a trade union, the General Industries Workers of South Africa (GIUSA), dozens of shirtless men can be seen sitting on a dirty floor. Their faces are blurred. A man’s voice can be heard off camera saying that the men are hungry and need help.

“We’re starting to show you the bodies of people who died underground,” he says.

“And that’s not all… do you see how people are struggling? Please we need help.”

In another video a man says: “It’s hunger, people are dying of hunger.” He then puts the death toll at 96 and pleads for help, food and supplies.

The union says the footage was filmed on Saturday.

At a briefing held near the site of the rescue operation on Monday, Gyosa’s leadership, along with community figures, said the videos had “painted a very grim picture” of the situation underground.

“What happened here has to be called what it is; it’s the Stilfontein massacre. Because the footage shows a pile of human corpses, of miners who died for nothing,” said Gyosa president Mamtelwe Sibi. ” said Mmitlwe Sibi, president of Gyosa.

He accused the authorities of what he termed a “treacherous policy” which was carried out deliberately.

On Tuesday, a government statement said 13 youths, or “minors,” had gone underground since the crackdown began.

The Department of Mineral Resources, which is leading the rescue effort, told the BBC that the rescue operation involved lowering a cage which was then hoisted up loaded with people.

According to Giwusa, the structure is designed to hold six or seven people, depending on their weight. It’s going down the shaft every hour.