Police waiting for thousands of illegal miners to surface from unstable Stilfontein mine shaft
North West police spokesperson, Sabata Mokgwabone, said the illegal miners were not trapped, they could surface at any time they wished.
Picture: Mulderphoto/123rf
JOHANNESBURG - Thousands of illegal miners remain below ground in an unstable mining shaft in Stilfontein, in the North West, as police wait for them to surface.
Last week, more than 1,000 miners emerged from a mine shaft in Orkney, after running out of food and water.
They were immediately arrested.
North West police spokesperson, Sabata Mokgwabone, said the illegal miners were not trapped, they could surface at any time they wished.
"A volunteer, who went underground yesterday, on the basis of his information but that is subject to confirmation, maybe at a later stage, he says that we have approximately 4,000, or over 4,000."
He said the illegal miners were said to be in poor health.
"Most of their conditions is not good, health-wise. So we had to come up with a plan that we need to give them something so that they can regain strength so that we can fill them up."