The death toll of alleged illegal miners whose bodies were found placed at a mineshaft in Krugersdorp has risen to 21, following the discovery of two more bodies by the police’s search and rescue team on Thursday.
This brings the number of bodies found to 21, after the first batch of 19 bodies was discovered on Wednesday.
The bodies were placed in white body bags next to a pile of sand, as members of the police search and rescue team combed the scene cordoned off with yellow police tape.
“The two bodies were retrieved on Thursday morning from an open mineshaft not far from where the other bodies were discovered on Wednesday,” Brigadier Brenda Mudiril, the police spokesperson said.
At the scene, police believe more bodies may be trapped underground as they continued their search along what is known as shaft 9in the morning.
Paramedics were also on site as the police comb through the area.
Mudirili said Krugersdorp police were alerted on Wednesday at 3pm of the 19 bodies which had been discovered.
“Preliminary investigations suggest that the deceased were moved and placed where they were discovered. No foul play is suspected, and post-mortem will determine the cause of death.”
An inquest docket has been registered.
It is believed that the 21 deceased illegal miners were killed when a trench they were working in collapsed on them.
An illegal miner, who asked to remain anonymous, said the bodies were moved from a shaft to prevent police from investigating the scene where they worked.
However, Mudirili said she could not confirm that the deaths were as a result of a collapsed trench.
The illegal miner said the trench’s stability was compromised by the heavy rainfall.
“The trench was not stable enough because of the rain. Some of us decided to take a break from mining when it started raining because we do not have enough support structure for the excavations we make. We use dynamite and that moves the earth, which makes it riskier when it rains,” he said.
Source: News24, Times Live, Sowetan Live, IOL, image from Twitter: @AJEnglish