A harrowing account from a survivor reveals the desperate conditions faced by hundreds of illegal miners trapped in an abandoned gold mine in South Africa. The miner describes weeks of starvation, illness, and despair before finally escaping on Christmas Day. This comes after a recent police operation resulted in the rescue of nearly 2,000 miners and the recovery of dozens of bodies.
Dozens of men sat and lay together in small caves, some so shallow they couldn’t stand up. The air was wet and stuffy, and wracking coughs echoed in the confined space. Bodies wrapped in fabric and twine were set aside in rows nearby. Bad odors permeated everything, so it was hard to distinguish what smells were coming from the dead versus the unwashed bodies or the damp rock.
Usually the men would eat meat, bread, and porridge cooked over camp stoves run by propane, but all of these had run out. With no mining work to distract them, they smoked cigarettes and marijuana for a while, when they still had it. This description, from a miner and from cellphone videos sent to the surface earlier this month, sheds some light on the horror hundreds of men suffered deep underground in an abandoned mine in South Africa, after a police operation earlier this week, under court order, said no one was left underground. Dozens of bodies were pulled out and at least 87 confirmed dead. The miner, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity out of fear of reprisals, said he surfaced on Christmas Day after entering the shaft in July, spending months underground where he experienced extreme hunger and saw many of his fellow diggers dying from starvation and illnesses. He is one of nearly 2,000 illegal miners who have surfaced from the mine near the town of Stilfontein since August last year when police targeted it as part of an operation that aims to tackle the widespread illicit mining trade. The trade bled the South African economy of more than $3 billion last year, according to the mines minister. At the worst of times, said the miner, they ate rough salt, the only thing leftover to stanch the hunger. “I felt like I have some bad luck because I had only been underground for two weeks when the operation started. That is when things started going bad, we stopped receiving food and we lost contact with the outside world, that could only mean that the police have arrived and probably arrested or scared off the people lowering the food,” he said.
World News South Africa Illegal Mining Gold Mine Mine Rescue Starvation Death Toll
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Revealed: The surprising reason King Charles has not revealed what type of cancer he is battlingThe monarch announced he had been diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer back in February.
Read more »
Pakistan in good shape for Champions Trophy after winning ODI series in South AfricaPakistan has won a second straight major one-day international series away from home by beating South Africa by 81 runs in Cape Town. After beating Australia 2-1 last month, Pakistan has taken the Proteas 2-0 with a game to spare Thursday. Half-centuries by Babar Azam, captain Mohammad Rizwan and Kamran Ghulam staked Pakistan to 329 all out.
Read more »
Pakistan completes a 3-0 sweep of ODI series against South AfricaPakistan has completed a 3-0 sweep of its ODI series against South Africa. It won the third match by 36 runs under the DLS method on Sunday. Led by opener Saim Ayub’s 101 runs in 94 balls, Pakistan scored 308-9 at the Wanderers in a game reduced to 47 overs by rain. South Africa was all out for 271 in 42 overs in pursuit of a winning target of 308.
Read more »
South Africa, Anticipating Trump, Backs Away from Anti-Israel ‘Megaphone’Source of breaking news and analysis, insightful commentary and original reporting, curated and written specifically for the new generation of independent and conservative thinkers.
Read more »
South Africa Scales Back Criticism of Israel, Seeking AGOA RenewalSouth Africa is preparing to soften its stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as it seeks the renewal of the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool acknowledges the need to recalibrate relations with the U.S. under President Trump, while noting that South Africa will continue its legal case against Israel at the International Court of Justice.
Read more »
South Africa Scales Back Anti-Israel Rhetoric to Protect Trade InterestsSouth Africa is preparing to soften its stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, anticipating potential issues with President-elect Donald Trump's administration due to its anti-Western foreign policy. The new South African ambassador to the U.S., Ebrahim Rasool, stated that the country must prioritize trade interests and scale back its outspoken criticism of Israel. While South Africa will continue its case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, Rasool emphasized the need to avoid escalating tensions and allow legal processes to unfold.
Read more »