Eleven illegal miners rescued from a South African gold mine were arrested and charged, while an unknown number remained inside the mine, refusing to be rescued, the SABC reported.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The SABC reported on Monday that the 11 were pulled out by ropes from the mine in Benoni, near Johannesburg, after police patrolling the area heard cries for help.
The miners had been trapped by a rockslide thought to have been caused by a collapsed support or by rival illegal miners.
The 11 were reported to be in good health.
The police representative, Katlego Mogale, said they would be arraigned on charges of illegal mining.
Mogale said dozens and possibly even hundreds of miners remained inside the mine, which had been abandoned by its owners.
The police representative added that some of the miners might be trapped, while others were afraid to leave the mine for fear of arrest.
Rescuers said that they would not launch a full-scale rescue operation until the miners said they were ready to leave.
The miners were thought to have enough food and water to last for days.
South Africa, the world’s fourth-largest gold exporter, has some of the world’s deepest gold mines, which increases the risks for miners.
Meanwhile, 10 miners were killed in accidents in three mines belonging to Harmony Gold this month.
Minerals and metals account for more than half of South Africa’s export revenues but illegal mining costs the country hundreds of thousands of dollars annually.
