31 Suspected illegal miners die of methane poisoning

FREE STATE – The Department of Mineral Resources said that it got word from the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Relations in Lesotho that a group of suspected illegal miners died in a mine ventilation shaft in May. The shaft was last operational in the 1990s. In a statement the department says three bodies have been brought to the surface by other miners.

Working in collaboration with the previous owners of the mine, Harmony, the DMRE inspectors have assessed the situation and determined that methane levels at the mine ventilation shaft 5 are very high. As such, it is currently too risky to dispatch a search team to the shaft. However, we are considering various options to speedily deal with the situation. Although this is a unique and strange situation, all relevant stakeholders will endeavour to ensure that the suspected deceased illegal miners are brought to the surface.