South Africa’s Illegal Gold Mine Crackdown Kills 78, Hundreds Rescued

A devastating crackdown at an illegal gold mine in South Africa has resulted in the discovery of at least 78 bodies, with 246 survivors pulled from the depths of the mine. The tragedy unfolded at a mine located 2 km underground near Stilfontein, southwest of Johannesburg, where desperate miners, many undocumented workers from Mozambique and surrounding countries, were trapped for months.

Rescue efforts began on Monday following a court-ordered operation, with survivors some severely malnourished and disoriented arrested for illegal mining and immigration. Volunteers who helped in the rescue mission confirmed on Wednesday that no further survivors or bodies were in the tunnels, although authorities are continuing their search to ensure all bodies have been recovered.

The operation’s brutality has sparked outrage from trade unions, with the South African Federation of Trade Unions accusing the state of allowing miners to die from starvation in the depths of the mine. They claim that the police began cutting off food and water supplies in August as part of a strategy to force the miners to surface. Some miners reportedly died trying to escape the flooded tunnels in search of shafts that could lead them out.

Police have countered these allegations, insisting that their priority was combating illegal mining and criminal activity. According to authorities, 1,576 miners managed to leave the site independently, though all were arrested, and many have been deported.

The incident has brought attention to the harsh conditions miners face and the controversial tactics used by authorities in dealing with illegal mining operations in the country.