At Least 100 Dead After Months Trapped in South African Abandoned Gold Mine

At least 100 people mining illegally in an abandoned gold mine in South Africa have died after being trapped deep underground for months, despite efforts by Police to rescue them, a group representing the miners said on Tuesday January 14.
Sabelo Mnguni, a spokesperson for the Mining Affected Communities United in Action group, told foreign press that a cellphone sent to the surface by some rescued miners on Friday (January 10) contained two videos showing dozens of bodies wrapped in plastic underground.
Mnguni stated that “a minimum” of 100 men had died in the mine in North West province, where police launched an operation in November 2024 to remove the miners. The victims are believed to have died from hunger or dehydration. Since Friday January 10, eighteen bodies have been recovered.
Police spokesperson Brigadier Sebata Mokgwabone said they were still verifying details about the number of bodies recovered and the number of survivors brought out, following the commencement of a new rescue operation on Monday January 13.