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 dozens of illegal miners believed to still be at least 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) underground, he told the General Assembly. Sanco, a national organization that brings together NGOs. BBC.

Eight people made it out alive on Tuesday, joining the 26 rescued on Monday after they were hoisted up the disused mine shaft in a cage operated by a crane on the surface. Nine bodies were recovered on Monday.

The men have been in hiding since police operations against illicit mining began last year across the country.

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

This story contains a video that some people may find distressing.

Last year, arguing that miners had deliberately entered the Stilfontein pit without permission, authorities took a hard line, blocking food and water supplies.

In November, a government minister said: “Let’s drive them away.”

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

However, authorities have not confirmed this figure because it has yet to be “verified by an official source”, a spokesperson told the BBC.

Disturbing videos emerged on Monday showing the dire situation at the disused gold mine.

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

Hundreds of people are believed to remain in the mine, while more than 1,000 have come to the surface in recent months.

In one of the videos released by the General Industries Workers of South Africa (Giwusa) union, dozens of shirtless men can be seen sitting on a dirty floor. Their faces have been blurred. A male voice can be heard off-camera saying that the men are hungry and need help.

“We are starting to show them the bodies of those who died underground,” he says.

“And these are not all… Do you see how people are struggling? Please, we need help.”

In the other video, a man says: “This is hunger; people are dying of hunger.” He then puts the death toll at 96 and calls for help, food and supplies.

The union says the footage was filmed on Saturday.

At a briefing on Monday near the site of the rescue operation, Giwusa leaders, along with community figures, said the shared videos “painted a very dire picture” of the situation underground.

“What has happened here should be called what it is: it is a Stilfontein massacre. Because what these images do is show a pile of human bodies, of miners who died unnecessarily,” said Giwusa president Mametlwe Sebei.

He blamed the authorities for what he described as a “treacherous policy” deliberately applied.

The department of mineral resources, which is leading the rescue effort, told the BBC that Monday’s operation included lowering a cage which is then raised once loaded with people.

This structure is designed to accommodate six or seven people, depending on their weight, according to Giwusa. He’s been going down the shaft every hour.