The Citizen reports that a group of 42 Lesotho nationals, who allegedly went underground at a Mpumalanga mine in an attempt to steal cables, were impacted when a gas explosion took place on Wednesday.
Twenty members of the group managed to reach safety, leaving 22 others still trapped. In an attempt to rescue the others, the group went to ANC ward councillor Andile Magwane to report the incident. The Gloria Mine, which mines manganese ore, has been closed for the last four months, where hundreds of miners have still not been paid. During this time, the mine has struggled with an increase of cable theft. Proto teams were at the shaft on Wednesday where a rescue operation was underway. It is unknown whether the trapped people are alive. In 1994, 33 miners were also trapped in a shaft at the mine after a fire broke out. Nineteen miners succumbed to the blaze and it took over two weeks to recover the bodies of the deceased.
- Read the original of this report at The Citizen
- Read too, More than 20 trapped after Gupta mine gas explosion, at BusinessLive
Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page