A gaping sinkhole caused heavy congestion on Miles Stoker Road in Roodepoort, and authorities have enough reason to believe this was the work of the infamous ‘zama-zamas.’
Roodepoort sinkhole linked to illegal mining: Here’s everything we know
As a safety precaution, the Johannesburg Road Agency (JRA) cordoned off one of the lanes, causing a massive backlog in traffic headed in the Roodepoort direction.
According to the JRA, the sinkhole is directly linked to illegal mining activities in the area. Tunnelling beneath the road surface during these illegal operations has weakened the ground, eventually resulting in a sinkhole.
To ensure public safety, the northbound carriageway along Miles Stoker Road, between Main Reef Road and Roodepoort, has been temporarily closed.
As a result, traffic has been diverted onto the southbound carriageway until further notice. The JRA has also warned that additional closures may be implemented if necessary to maintain safety standards.
The authorities are closely monitoring the situation and actively exploring measures to mitigate the impact of illegal mining activities and prevent similar incidents in the future.
Check out footage of the Roodepoort sinkhole below:
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Visuals of the Roodepoort sinkhole, while smaller in magnitude, look eerily similar to the devastating scenes of last week’s mystery explosion on Bree Street, in Johannesburg.
The blast resulted in the death of one person, destroyed several vehicles and properties, and left gaping tears on sections of Bree Street and Rissik Street.
While the exact cause of the gas explosion is still unclear, illegal mining has not yet been ruled out.
Instead, the City of Johannesburg has tasked its Disaster Management Centre with conducting a thorough investigation. The municipality is finalising a report to potentially declare the gas explosion a local state of disaster, which will effectively unlock funds for restorative work.