The illegal mining thread

LazyLion

LazyLion

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Four illegal miners died and 11 were wounded during a clash in a mine shaft in Brakpan North, Ekurhuleni emergency management services said on Monday.

"We've counted four [dead miners], but there's a possibility that the number could rise," said spokesman Rogers Mamaila.

Mamaila said shots were fired during an underground clash between two groups of illegal miners.

"We rescued 11 people with various injuries, including gunshot wounds, and some needing amputations," Mamaila said.

Emergency workers were still at the scene.


Source : Sapa /mr/fg/clh
Date : 29 Jul 2013 10:32
 
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Mine Rescue Operations Halted

Rescue operations have been halted at a mine in Brakpan North where four illegal miners were found dead, Ekurhuleni emergency management services said on Monday.

"The situation is that we are assembling a team along with the department of mineral resources and the SA Police Service (SAPS) to discuss a way forward," said senior district manager Rogers Mamaila.

Earlier, National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) general secretary Frans Baleni called on the mineral resources ministry to take action.

"The issue of illegal miners is of great concern to [the] NUM; at some point there was a task team established to deal with illegal mining," he told reporters at NUM headquarters.

"We condemn it, especially with the continued loss of life. We call on the minerals department to act," Baleni said.

Four illegal miners died and 11 were wounded during a fight in a mine shaft.

"We've counted four [dead miners], but there's a possibility that the number could rise," Mamaila said.

Mamaila said shots were fired during an underground clash between two groups of illegal miners.

"We rescued 11 people with various injuries, including gunshot wounds, and some needing amputations," Mamaila said.

The bodies would remain underground until safety measures were in place for the rescuers.


Source : Sapa /mr/fg/jk/clh
Date : 29 Jul 2013 13:35
 
Seven Illegal Miners found Dead on East Rand

Seven illegal miners have died and 12 have been wounded in a clash in a mine shaft in Brakpan North, on the East Rand, Ekurhuleni emergency management services said on Tuesday.

"The mine rescue services retrieved seven bodies yesterday [Monday]. This morning they will go and search [for more] on another level," said senior district manager Roggers Mamaila.

Rescue workers had initially thought there were only four bodies underground, but had found six bodies on level two of shaft seven, and one in shaft 11.

"Today they will go to shaft seven, level three just to check that we leave no bodies down there, because some families are claiming their family members are still missing," Mamaila said.

On Monday, a 12th illegal miner was rescued from the mine.

"He just has a broken leg. For someone who went through such an ordeal he looks fine," Mamaila said. He was taken to the Far East Rand Hospital.

The other 11 rescued had injuries, including gunshot wounds, and some needed amputations.

Emergency services were alerted to the violence at the mine on Sunday.

Mamaila said shots were fired during an underground clash between two groups of illegal miners on Thursday.

Mamaila said the rescue mission involved the police and the mineral resources department.


Source : Sapa /mr/fg/clh
Date : 30 Jul 2013 08:29
 
Hundreds of illegal miners trapped underground

Over 200 miners are reportedly trapped underground in an abandoned gold shaft near Benoni on the East Rand.

Rescue services are trying to reach more than 200 illegal miners reported trapped underground in an abandoned gold shaft near Benoni on the East Rand, an emergency services spokesperson said on Sunday.

Werner Vermaak of ER24 emergency services told Reuters that rescuers were communicating with a group of about 30 miners trapped by fallen boulders below the surface.

"They told us there are about 200 others trapped further below," Vermaak said.

Vermaak said "emergency services had been conducting operations around illegal mining in the area on Sunday when they heard the screaming from the abandoned mine", according to News24.com.– Reuters
Click to expand...

http://mg.co.za/article/2014-02-16-hundreds-of-illegal-miners-trapped-underground
 
That's terrible news. Hopefully they get everyone out safely.

And hopefully they're invoiced so the taxpayer doesn't carry the cost of rescuing them.
 
being trapped underground like that is my greatest fear in life. pinned down by rocks in stifling heat, surrounded by completed blackness, desperate for a tiny sip of water . . . .
 
Suppose if you are illegally on somebody's property and stealing from them it is a risk you have to take. Off course everything must be done to save lives, but knowingly doing something dangerous and illegal and then needing tax-payer resources to save you irritates me :-(
 
In my checkered past.... I spent a year a premier mine outside Pretoria.... Was meant to go underground...but due to me being asthmatic.....got to work surface..... One of my biggest fears... That and not burning the braaimeat...
 
If you knew the stats of minerals being stolen by these people you would not be inclined to feel sorry for them.
 
They were trying to find gold in an abandoned mine shaft. They must have known the risks. My gripe is that now rescue teams need to risk their own lives to try to rescue those idiots. And someone has to pay for the rescue attempt. Why bother?
 
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