The bodies of two illegal miners have been discovered at a disused mine east of
Johannesburg in
South Africa.
The abandoned mine is in the same area where more than 20 illegal miners were recently rescued after being
trapped underground for several days. Those miners, who were reportedly trapped by a rival group of illegal
miners, were arrested after they emerged from the shaft. They are due to appear in court on charges related to
illegal mining. The land around the town of Benoni near Johannesburg is dotted with disused mine shafts, which
attract men from around the region, including
Lesotho,
Mozambique and
Zimbabwe, with the promise of remaining
gold deposits. Cries for help
The BBCs Nomsa Maseko in Benoni says the two miners who died are believed to have been killed following a
rockfall several days ago. They were discovered by other illegal miners who went underground to search for them
after they were missing for about a week, she says. The illegal miners say the police refused to help bring up the
bodies, saying it was too dangerous.
So they brought up one to the surface themselves on
Tuesday morning, but the other body - believed to be of a
Zimbabwean man - remains underground. The group of trapped illegal miners was discovered on
Sunday morning
when police heard cries for help while patrolling the area. They removed the boulders which had been put over the
mine shaft. A total of 25 men have since been rescued and arrested,
David Tshabalala, from the emergency medical
care service
ER24, said on Tuesday. It is not clear if more illegal miners, known as zama zamas meaning hustlers,
are still underground at the site.
Paramedics initially said
200 illegal miners remained trapped but the latest figures
put the numbers at much lower, at just over 10. Notices warning miners that they face arrest and that the mine will
be sealed in two weeks time have been thrown down the shaft.
Our correspondent says there is fierce rivalry underground between the illegal miners, who often work with their
fellow countrymen in groups.
If another group finds you underground they make you work for them at gunpoint, like a slave. So we go
underground armed, one illegal miner told the
BBC.
Some of the men who resurfaced on Sunday and Monday were leaving their gold underground because they knew
they would face a harsher jail term if found in possession of illegally mined gold.
Mining is a vital part of the
South African economy and the country is the fourth-biggest gold exporter.
According to
South Africas
Department of Mineral Resources, a 2008 study of the gold sector found that an
estimated 509m (309m) in revenue was lost a year as a result of illegal mining.
South Africa has some of the worlds deepest gold mines and safety is a major issue.
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- published: 01 Mar 2014
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