200 Miners Trapped in Abandoned Gold Mine in South Africa

[Omaha Steve]

Source: Novinite

Rescue workers are trying to reach over 200 illegal miners trapped in an abandoned gold mine near Johannesburg.

Emergency services spokesperson Werner Vermaak told the South African Press Service that rescuers had managed to contact a group of about 30 miners trapped at the old mine site in Benoni.

Vermaak was quoted by the CBS news as saying that no casualties or serious injuries had been reported so far.

FULL story at link.


Read more: http://www.novinite.com/articles/158256/200+Miners+Trapped+in+Abandoned+Gold+Mine+in+South+Africa

[enlightenment]

1. I hope they can all be recovered safely.

It is very sad that desperation leads so many to do so dangerous a thing.

[jberryhill]

8. And that is the real point

The story posted below calls them "illegal diggers".

They are people in an unfortunate circumstance.

[jberryhill]

2. Headline fail

Whether or not they are licensed miners, a gold mine with 200 people in it is not "abandoned".

[Brother Buzz]

4. I heard this story on the radio and had the same reaction

Perhaps 'once abandoned' would have been more appropriate.

[jberryhill]

5. It kind of devalues the poor folks trapped in there

[Brother Buzz]

13. 99.99 %ers appropriate, then get trapped in an unsafe mine the .01%ers abandoned?

[dipsydoodle]

7. They broke into an abandoned mine i.e a mine which had been abandoned

entry into which is illegal.

They were subsequently followed into the abandoned mine by another group of illegal miners who decided to bury the first lot with boulders - it wasn't a simple collapse.

There appear to be no injuries so far. All who have now escaped have been arrested and it is thought that those who remain are simply avoiding arrest.

Sky News in the UK have been covering this live since mid afternoon UK time.

South Africa: Miners Rescued From Disused Shaft



Workers who became trapped by boulders thrown by a rival group two days ago are arrested on suspicion of illegal mining.

>

Speaking from the scene, Sky's Africa Correspondent Alex Crawford said: "It's a big temptation for people here who are out of work to get access to abandoned shafts because there are minerals down there, but it's unregulated and highly dangerous.

"What we've heard is there was a group of illegal miners who had been working underground when other miners, a separate group, they say tried to rob them.

>

Officials believe the group may have dug their own tunnel which linked up with the main mine shaft.

http://news.sky.com/story/1212420/south-africa-miners-rescued-from-disused-shaft

[jberryhill]

9. I understand that

Whose job was it to seal the mine entrance against the predictable and wholly foreseeable efforts of desperate people to break in?

I would imagine they did not do a very good job of it.

[jberryhill]

10. Well why not simply...

Call olly olly oxenfree, get everyone out, don't arrest them, and seal the mine securely?

[dipsydoodle]

12. Officials believe the group may have dug their own tunnel which linked up with the main mine shaft.

http://news.sky.com/story/1212420/south-africa-miners-rescued-from-disused-shaft

[Eugene]

3. Twelve illegal miners rescued in South Africa, others stay underground

Source: Reuters

Twelve illegal miners rescued in South Africa, others stay underground

BY MIKE HUTCHINGS AND JOHN MKHIZE
BENONI, South Africa Sun Feb 16, 2014 1:05pm EST

(Reuters) - A dozen South African illegal miners were brought to the surface on Sunday after being trapped in an abandoned gold mine near Johannesburg, but an unknown number remained underground because they feared arrest, an emergency services spokesman said.

"Twelve have been rescued so far," ER24 spokesman Werner Vermaak told Reuters.

Those brought to the surface were checked by medics and then handed over to the police. There were no immediate reports of deaths or injuries.

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Vermaak initially said some of the trapped group had told rescuers that 200 more illegal diggers were deeper in the mine, and the exact number who remained was not known.

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Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/02/16/us-safrica-miners-idUSBREA1F0A120140216

[jberryhill]

6. Again with the headline weirdness

A person underground engaged in the extraction of minerals is a "miner".

There are a lot of unfortunate folks trapped underground, but the headline writers seem to want to make sure it's understood they deserved it or something.

[quadrature]

11. blood gold...blood diamonds...

all of it is bad juju

[Eugene]

14. SA mine rescue halted after miners refuse to leave

Source: BBC

16 February 2014 Last updated at 20:19 GMT

SA mine rescue halted after miners refuse to leave

The operation to rescue illegal gold miners trapped in an abandoned mine in South Africa has been halted overnight.

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Other trapped miners refused to leave after discovering they faced arrest at the surface. It is unclear how many remain underground, with reports suggesting they could number 200.

A full rescue operation will not restart unless the miners request it, said an emergency services official.

Werner Vermaak of ER24 told the BBC the mine site would be guarded overnight by a private security company, who can call for help if the miners change their mind. They could also prevent unauthorised rescue attempts.

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Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-26217098