Rescuers try to pull survivors from hundreds of people trapped in a South African mine

Steelfontein, South Africa—— Rescuers sent a cage-like structure into one of South Africa's deepest mines on Tuesday in an attempt to free survivors from hundreds of illegal miners who have been trapped for months in abandoned shafts underground. More than 100 people are believed to have died from starvation or dehydration.

At least 18 bodies and 26 survivors have been rescued from the Buffelsfontein gold mine since Friday, but more than 500 miners are still believed to be underground, a group representing miners said. Police said they were not sure how many people remained, but it was likely in the hundreds.

The mine near the town of Steelfontein, southwest of Johannesburg, has been the scene of tense standoffs between police, miners and local community members since authorities first launched an operation in November to try to force miners out. Reports say some of them have been underground since July or August last year.

Authorities said the miners were able to come out but refused, but that account has been disputed by rights groups and activists who have strongly criticized the police strategy of cutting off the miners' surface supplies of food and water in an attempt to force them to leave. . Rights groups say many miners are literally starving to death and unable to climb out because the mines are so steep and the rope and pulley systems they used to enter have been removed.

Illegal mining is common in parts of gold-rich South Africa, with companies closing mines that are no longer profitable, leading to groups of informal miners illegally entering mines to try to find remaining deposits.

Large groups of illegal miners often work underground for months to maximize profits, taking away food, water, generators and other equipment but also relying on others on the surface to deliver more supplies.

Authorities confirmed that some people had fled the mine since November, but the exact number was unclear. Police said the miners feared they would be arrested if they came out.

Human rights activists say the only way out is for the miners to make the perilous trek to another mine, which can take days, and crawl out from there. They said many miners were too weak or sick to crawl out. The mine is 2.5 kilometers (1.5 miles) deep and has multiple shafts, levels and a labyrinth of tunnels, with community mining groups saying numerous groups of miners are present throughout the mine.

The United Action Group of Communities Affected by Mining, which took authorities to court in December to force them to allow food, water and medicine to be delivered to miners, released two mobile phone videos it said were from underground and showed dozens of bodies. Miners wrapped in plastic. A spokesman for the group said “at least” 100 miners died.

The cellphone videos, allegedly taken deep inside the mine, include a man who can be heard saying: “This is hunger. People die from hunger,” as he records haggard-looking men sitting on the mine's damp floor. superior. He added: “Please help us. Bring us food or take us out.”

South Africa's police minister and mineral resources minister are due to visit the mine on Tuesday, while authorities are under scrutiny for their tactics.

South Africa's cabinet minister Khumbudzo Ntshavheni told reporters in November that the government would not help the miners, whom they considered “criminals.”

“We will not provide help to criminals. We will smoke them out. They will come out,” she said, according to local media.

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Imre reported from Cape Town, South Africa.

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