Dozens of survivors and dead pulled from illegal South African mine as hundreds remain underground – CTV News

Months after South African authorities initially cut off supplies to miners working illegally in an abandoned gold mine, rescuers brought dozens of bodies and emaciated survivors to the surface Tuesday with hundreds more still believed to be underground, many of them dead and others too weak to come out on their own.
At least 60 bodies and 92 survivors had been pulled from one of South Africa’s deepest mines since Monday in a red cagelike structure lowered thousands of feet underground, police said. Police are uncertain how many miners remain inside but said it is likely in the hundreds. Another nine bodies were brought out Friday in a community-led rescue effort, according to a group representing the miners.
Residents desperately waiting for news of family members gathered at the mine near the town of Stilfontein, southwest of Johannesburg, some holding placards criticizing authorities for their response. One sign said there had been a "Sacrifice at Stilfontein" while some handcuffed survivors were led away in a line by police.Authorities say the surviving miners are able to come out and are refusing because of fear of arrest, but that has been disputed by rights groups and activists, who have fiercely criticized police tactics at the Buffelsfontein Gold Mine, where more than 100 miners are believed to have died of starvation or dehydration.
The mine has been the scene of a tense standoff between police, miners and mefmbers of the local community since authorities launched an operation in November to force the miners out by cutting off food and water from the surface for a period of time.
At the time, a Cabinet minister said the aim was to "smoke them out" and the government would not send help because they were "criminals."
Civic groups won a court case to force authorities to allow food, water and medicine to be sent down to the miners. But they say the supplies aren’t enough and many of the miners are dying of starvation and unable to climb out because the shaft is too steep and the ropes and pulley system they used to enter have been removed.
The community organized its own rescue operation on Friday before the official effort by authorities began Monday. They say a proper rescue operation should have been launched months ago.
"We are happy that this operation is happening, even though we believe that if it was done earlier, we wouldn’t even have one dead person," said Mzukisi Jam, the regional chairperson of the South African National Civics Organization, an umbrella for civic and rights groups.
Illegal mining is common in parts of gold-rich South Africa where companies close down mines that are no longer profitable, leaving groups of informal miners to enter them illegally in a search for leftover deposits.
Large groups of miners often go underground for months to maximize their profits, taking food, water, generators and other equipment with them, but also relying on others in their group on the surface to send down more supplies.
Mineral Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe visited the site Tuesday and said that more than 1,500 miners who resurfaced from the Buffelsfontein mine have been arrested since authorities began a larger crackdown on illegal mining in late 2023. He said the vast majority were foreign nationals from neighbouring countries.
Police have also doubled down on their assertion that the miners who are still underground aren’t coming out because they are afraid of being arrested.
 Activists said the only way out is for miners to make a dangerous trek to another shaft, which can take days, and crawl out there, but many are too weak or ill to climb out. The mine is 2.5 kilometres (1.5 miles) deep with multiple shafts, many levels and a maze of tunnels. The group representing the miners said there are numerous groups in various parts of the mine.
"The last time I spoke to my brother was in July, when he told us that he is going underground," said Zinzi Tom, a sister of one of the miners who remained underground. "We had not heard anything from him, but yesterday one of the miners who surfaced said he saw him about two weeks ago. Apparently he is very sick and he is struggling to survive."
The Mining Affected Communities United in Action group, which took authorities to court in December to force them to allow supplies to be sent down to the miners, released two cellphone videos that they said were from underground and showed dozens of dead bodies of miners wrapped in plastic. A spokesman for the group said "a minimum" of 100 miners had died.
The cellphone videos purportedly from the depths of the mine are filmed by a man who can be heard saying, "This is hunger. People are dying because of hunger," as he records emaciated-looking men sitting on the damp floor of the mine. He adds: "Please help us. Bring us food or take us out."
The rescue operation will go on for 10 days and authorities would then reassess, Police Minister Senzo Mchunu said. Police also said that the survivors who had been brought to the surface will be arrested and charged with illegal mining and trespassing after receiving medical attention.
Authorities have come under scrutiny for their tactics after South African Cabinet Minister Khumbudzo Ntshavheni told reporters in November that the government would not help the miners, who they consider criminals.
"We are not sending help to criminals," she said. "We are going to smoke them out. They will come out.
She added: "Criminals are not to be helped. Criminals are to be persecuted."
——
Imray reported from Cape Town, South Africa.
The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.
Christy Clark and François-Philippe Champagne announced Tuesday that they will not run in the race to replace Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. These announcements come alongside news that senior Liberals Chrystia Freeland, Karina Gould and Mark Carney are expected to announce within the week their plans to run for the leadership.

Montreal Canadien forward Emil Heineman was struck and hit by a vehicle on Monday and will be out around a month.

The Princess of Wales revealed Tuesday that her cancer is in remission after an emotional visit to the hospital where she received treatment last year.

Premier Doug Ford says U.S. president-elect Donald Trump’s promised tariffs on Canadian goods could result in the loss of 500,000 jobs in Ontario, creating the need for billions of dollars in stimulus spending.

Procter & Gamble and Colgate-Palmolive are among the defendants in six new lawsuits targeting the sale of toothpaste and mouth rinse for young children because the products contain fluoride, which can be harmful if swallowed.

Rescuers sent a cage-like structure down into one of South Africa's deepest gold mines on Tuesday to bring out survivors among hundreds of illegal miners trapped for months in an abandoned shaft.

An Ontario man who received a $620,000 medical bill from a Florida hospital is now relieved that his insurance company has reversed its decision and decided to pay the bill.

Former first lady Michelle Obama will skip the inauguration of president-elect Donald Trump, the second time in two weeks that she is not attending a gathering of former U.S. leaders and their spouses.

Days ahead of his expected Liberal leadership campaign launch, former Bank of Canada and Bank of England governor Mark Carney says Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's decision to step down boosts the party's chance in the next general election.

Police are investigating after someone stole tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of Maud Lewis artwork from a home in Halifax.

Premier Doug Ford says U.S. president-elect Donald Trump’s promised tariffs on Canadian goods could result in the loss of 500,000 jobs in Ontario, creating the need for billions of dollars in stimulus spending.

Last year, in a London court, Phillip Sallewsky pleaded guilty to a series of charges which included luring and transmitting sexually explicit material to someone believed to be under the age of 16.

Stan Valant, a long-time resident of Calgary's Silver Springs, is baffled by the city's recent assessment of his bi-level home.

Northern areas of central Ontario could see up to 60 centimetres of snow today.

The Government of Saskatchewan has announced a new plan to enhance border security which will include redeploying officers to both the province's inter-provincial and international boundaries.

Former first lady Michelle Obama will skip the inauguration of president-elect Donald Trump, the second time in two weeks that she is not attending a gathering of former U.S. leaders and their spouses.

NATO is launching a new mission to protect undersea cables in the Baltic Sea region after a string of incidents that have heightened fears of Russian sabotage and spying in the strategic region, the alliance's leader said on Tuesday.

After a battle in Russia's snowy western region of Kursk this week, Ukrainian special forces scoured the bodies of more than a dozen slain North Korean enemy soldiers.

The Princess of Wales revealed Tuesday that her cancer is in remission after an emotional visit to the hospital where she received treatment last year.

Special counsel Jack Smith said his team 'stood up for the rule of law' as it investigated U.S. president-elect Donald Trump's efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election, writing in a much-anticipated report released Tuesday that he stands fully behind his decision to bring criminal charges he believes would have resulted in a conviction had voters not returned Trump to the White House.

Weary and anxious from a week of massive infernos burning around Los Angeles and now facing dire new warnings, residents gathered up their pets and family photos and prepared to flee at a moment's notice as fire-fuelling winds blasted Tuesday across Southern California.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will hold a cabinet retreat on Jan. 20 and 21 focused on defending Canadian interests and boosting ties with United States, the prime minister's office said in a statement on Tuesday.

Christy Clark and François-Philippe Champagne announced Tuesday that they will not run in the race to replace Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. These announcements come alongside news that senior Liberals Chrystia Freeland, Karina Gould and Mark Carney are expected to announce within the week their plans to run for the leadership.

Days ahead of his expected Liberal leadership campaign launch, former Bank of Canada and Bank of England governor Mark Carney says Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's decision to step down boosts the party's chance in the next general election.

Procter & Gamble and Colgate-Palmolive are among the defendants in six new lawsuits targeting the sale of toothpaste and mouth rinse for young children because the products contain fluoride, which can be harmful if swallowed.

A new report says Canada's health-care system has fallen behind international peers in access to care, equity and wait times, outperforming only the United States.

An Ontario man who received a $620,000 medical bill from a Florida hospital is now relieved that his insurance company has reversed its decision and decided to pay the bill.

Elon Musk said a third person has received an implant from his brain-computer interface company Neuralink, one of many groups working to connect the nervous system to machines.

U.S. President Joe Biden signed an executive order on Tuesday to provide federal support to address massive energy needs for fast-growing advanced artificial intelligence data centres, the White House said.

Keep an eye on the sky Monday evening to see the wolf moon, the first full moon of the year. And some sky-gazers will be able to glimpse a cosmic magic trick when the moon appears to pass in front of Mars.

Reality television star Heidi Montag's 2010 album 'Superficial' has hit No. 1 on iTunes' all-genre songs and albums charts — 15 years after its release and just after Montag and husband Spencer Pratt lost their home in the Palisades Fire.

Watching well-paid stars take the stage to collect awards while thousands of L.A. families are displaced and have lost their homes runs the risk of being tone deaf, but economically, these shows also provide income for thousands of entertainment workers.

Leslie Charleson, who played popular character Dr. Monica Quartermaine for almost 50 years on 'General Hospital,' has died, the program’s executive producer announced on Sunday.

A town in Poland is encouraging Elon Musk to buy its vast 13th-century castle and turn it into his European headquarters.

Barrick Gold Corp. says it has initiated the temporary suspension of operations at its Loulo-Gounkoto mining complex in Mali.

U.S. President Donald Trump will take part virtually in the World Economic Forum's annual meeting in Davos just days after his inauguration, the forum president said Tuesday.

If you want to hang out or use the restroom at Starbucks, you’re going to have to buy something. Starbucks on Monday said it was reversing a policy that invited everyone into its stores.

When 35-year-old combat medic Tetyana Tsymbaliuk regained consciousness in the hospital room, she found her boyfriend waiting with a bunch of flowers. He proposed, but she declined. After a serious injury, her leg had been amputated; she worried about being a burden as a wife.

There’s far more to Italy than the places that usually feature on travel itineraries. Explore a little farther, and there are scores of extraordinary places where tourists are a rare site.

Montreal Canadien forward Emil Heineman was struck and hit by a vehicle on Monday and will be out around a month.

Canadian curler Briane Harris is eligible to return to the sport after an absence of nearly one year.

Over the years, cameras have caught NFL players doing some memorable non-football things on the sidelines during games. Tom Brady once hurled an electronic tablet in frustration. Three members of the Seattle Seahawks were fined for eating hot dogs during a 1995 preseason game.

Automakers pulled out all the stops to showcase their latest advances for in-vehicle experiences at CES, the Consumer Technology Association’s annual trade show of all things tech, in Las Vegas this week.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said on Tuesday it has opened a probe into 2.6 million Tesla vehicles in the United States over reports of crashes involving a feature that allows users to move their cars remotely.

Waterloo Regional Police Services helped recover 20 stolen vehicles in Hamilton, Ont.

One woman is expressing her deepest gratitude to the Winnipeg Richardson International Airport after the staff helped her retrieve the security footage of her final moments with her father.

Franklin the tortoise has been in a fridge for the past 15 weeks.

When Environment Canada Senior Climatologist David Phillips retired this past September, he wasn’t quite ready to call it a career.

A section of the Rideau Canal Skateway has opened for the first time this winter.

The marquee at The Penthouse strip club in downtown Vancouver is known for its edgy comments on politics and pop culture.

A Winnipeg sculptor’s latest creation could also double as a house guard.

A Manitoba researcher was part of a historic research team that uncovered the oldest ice core ever retrieved.

Hayley and Bill Atkinson’s love story begins that night he abruptly left in the middle of playing a card game with friends, and didn’t return for a long time.

Though it has been nearly five decades since Elvis' death, his music and influence continue to inspire fans around the world, including tribute artist Thane Dunn of Moncton, N.B.

British Columbia's police watchdog is investigating after two people were injured in a car crash following an attempted police traffic stop in Victoria.

Former B.C. premier Christy Clark has announced she won’t enter the race to replace outgoing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, citing concerns about a potentially rushed campaign.

Getting into British Columbia’s pricey real estate market is becoming increasingly challenging for young people and singles.

Premier Doug Ford says U.S. president-elect Donald Trump’s promised tariffs on Canadian goods could result in the loss of 500,000 jobs in Ontario, creating the need for billions of dollars in stimulus spending.

An Ontario man who received a $620,000 medical bill from a Florida hospital is now relieved that his insurance company has reversed its decision and decided to pay the bill.

Toronto City Coun. Shelley Carroll is the new chair of the Toronto Police Service Board, unseating the incumbent in a split vote at board meeting on Tuesday.

A public hearing for the controversial Grassy Mountain coal mining project will resume in Calgary on Tuesday.

A big name with ties to the city is expected to launch his bid to become the leader of the federal Liberal party, two sources tell CTV News Edmonton.

Evan Spencer, councillor for Calgary's Ward 12, will not be running for re-election later this year.

The City of Ottawa says it has found a contractor to design and build a tent-like newcomer reception centre to accommodate migrants.

Ottawa police say officers responded to reports of an assault with an edged weapon at the high school on Dauphin Road, near the Ottawa Hospital General Campus, at approximately 9:10 a.m. Monday.

King Edward Avenue is the hot spot for photo radar and red light camera tickets, with 16 per cent of all camera-related traffic tickets in Ottawa issued to drivers on a one-kilometre stretch of the road in Lowertown.

The Legault government is concerned about the illegal migration taking place in the Swanton sector between Quebec and the United States, calling on the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) to place the necessary manpower there.

Montreal Canadien forward Emil Heineman was struck and hit by a vehicle on Monday and will be out around a month.

A Quebec high school was evacuated due to a fire Tuesday morning.

Epcor crews were called to a water main break at 109 Street and 111 Avenue in Edmonton on Tuesday morning.

A big name with ties to the city is expected to launch his bid to become the leader of the federal Liberal party, two sources tell CTV News Edmonton.

Police are searching for the next of kin of a man who was killed in a crash last week.

Police are investigating after someone stole tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of Maud Lewis artwork from a home in Halifax.

The New Brunswick SPCA is investigating after the bodies of four dogs were removed from the front porch of a home in Bass River, N.B., Monday morning.

The Saint John Police Force is asking for the public's help in identifying a woman they say is a person of interest in connection with an armed robbery.

The Kinew government has released a blueprint aimed at ending chronic homelessness in the province by 2031.

A high school in Manitoba has been evacuated due to a bomb threat on Tuesday.

The Winnipeg Police Service is working to tackle drug-impaired driving with a new project starting in 2025.

The Government of Saskatchewan has announced a new plan to enhance border security which will include redeploying officers to both the province's inter-provincial and international boundaries.

Saskatchewan is joining the effort to contain the out-of-control wildfires in southern California.

Saskatchewan's new provincial police force has begun interviewing Mounties as it prepares to launch this year, a move critics say highlights concerns of job poaching.

Last year, in a London court, Phillip Sallewsky pleaded guilty to a series of charges which included luring and transmitting sexually explicit material to someone believed to be under the age of 16.

Jalen Belle-McCormack, 20, from Toronto, is currently wanted on a warrant in connection to a shooting at a Waterloo business on May 18, 2024.

Repair crews could be seen in the area of Guelph Street and Riverbend Drive around 10 a.m. Tuesday.

Saskatchewan is joining the effort to contain the out-of-control wildfires in southern California.

The Government of Saskatchewan has announced a new plan to enhance border security which will include redeploying officers to both the province's inter-provincial and international boundaries.

A Saskatoon woman is warning others to use caution when doing business on buy and sell websites, after she was the target of a scammer.

A dispute over a $2 million jackpot among members of a workplace lotto pool has been settled by B.C.'s Supreme Court.

If you want to hang out or use the restroom at Starbucks, you’re going to have to buy something. Starbucks on Monday said it was reversing a policy that invited everyone into its stores.

Police in West Nipissing are asking for the public's help to find a man who used stolen identify documents to take a truck for a test drive, then failed to come back.

There's a snow squall warning in effect through Huron, Perth, Grey and Bruce Counties as squalls develop Tuesday evening and continue Tuesday night.

The 23-year-old man convicted in the bush party shooting of a teenager was back in court again on Monday, this time pleading guilty to a weapons offence.

Ryan Davies and his friends were out for an early morning fishing trip in the man-made lake when the canoe tipped over. Two people were rescued, but Davies, 26, never resurfaced.

Casino Rama will welcome a couple of talk show legends, Canada’s first lady of country music, and take you back to the 2000s with three newly added shows.

The north-end of Barrie is soon to be home to a new Pickleball sports facility.

A power outage left more than 2,000 Alliston residents in the dark on Monday evening.

Co-workers and customers gathered outside the workplace of a missing 26-year-old woman Monday evening to bring light to her disappearance.

The Ontario government and Hydro One announced on Monday that the construction on the Chatham to Lakeshore transmission line had been completed one year ahead of schedule.

One suspect was arrested and police are seeking another suspect after several residential break-ins and car thefts in south Windsor.

British Columbia's police watchdog is investigating after two people were injured in a car crash following an attempted police traffic stop in Victoria.

Mounties on B.C.’s Sunshine Coast say they’re investigating a string of violent crimes that happened late last month and are asking for witnesses to come forward.

Grizzly bears that visited ecotourism areas along a river on the province's central coast were less likely than others to encounter conflict with people in communities downstream, a new study by British Columbia-based researchers has found.

The fire chief of a British Columbia community devastated by a fast-moving wildfire in 2023 says it's "haunting" to see similar circumstances playing out in Southern California.

Firefighters knocked down a blaze on the third floor of a low-rise apartment building near downtown Kelowna Monday afternoon.

Search and rescue volunteers in B.C.’s Okanagan successfully reunited two skiers with their family Friday evening.

Those in Lethbridge's real estate sector are expecting anther busy year, with both home sales and starts expected to rise in 2025.

As Alberta nears the start of another wildfire season, there are efforts underway to safeguard against wildfires in Canmore and the Bow Valley.

As U.S. president-elect Donald Trump threatens to annex Canada, some residents in Montana are sharing their thoughts on the idea of Canada becoming the “51st state.”

One person from southern Ontario has been charged following a major drug bust in Thunder Bay last month.

A fire Monday morning in Sault Ste. Marie sent three people to hospital and caused significant smoke and fire damage.

Council in the Municipality of Huron Shores will meet this week to declare the office of the mayor officially vacant. The move comes after Mayor Matthew Seabrook resigned Jan. 8.

Police in eastern Newfoundland say that for the second time in less than a month thieves have used heavy equipment to smash into a bank and steal an ATM.

Liberal MP Yvonne Jones speaks to reporters before a meeting of the Liberal women's caucus, on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024. Jones announced this morning that she will not be running in the next federal election for her seat in Labrador. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang

A draft energy deal with Quebec heralded as a game-changer for indebted Newfoundland and Labrador is heading for a vote Thursday night at the legislature in St. John's, N.L.

© 2024 All rights reserved. Use of this Website assumes acceptance of Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy

source

About The Author