Three days into a government-led 10-day rescue operation in Stilfontein, rescuers searching an abandoned mine shaft delivered chilling news.
Volunteers report no more survivors in Stilfontein
According to volunteer reports, no more survivors remained underground, leaving only unidentified human remains.
Rescue efforts, which started on Monday, had been focused on retrieving hundreds of illegal miners trapped in the dilapidated shaft.
The grim update followed multiple sweeps of the tunnels by rescue volunteers.
Despite deploying a cage into the depths of the mine five times, the rescuers returned empty-handed. The North West Police Commissioner, Major General Patrick Asaneng, confirmed that efforts to verify these findings would continue.
The grim discoveries and challenges underground
The conditions inside the mine have proven extremely challenging for the volunteers. They reported encountering piles of unidentified remains, adding a harrowing element to an already perilous mission.
Efforts to bring the remains to the surface have been fraught with logistical difficulties. Rescue teams are expected to resume their efforts on Thursday, this time focusing on a comprehensive sweep by mine rescue experts.
Asaneng reiterated the importance of ensuring no one is left behind and pledged that the operation would leave no stone unturned.
The Stilfontein operation is part of a broader government initiative to tackle illegal mining, which has plagued the North West region.
So far, 216 illegal miners have been rescued alive since the operation began, all of whom have been placed under arrest.
Tragically, the death toll stands at 78, with 18 of those fatalities confirmed during Day Three’s efforts.