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Trapped miners
Rescue workers attempt to free trapped miners near Benoni, South Africa. Photograph: AP
Rescue workers attempt to free trapped miners near Benoni, South Africa. Photograph: AP

South African rescue under way for illegal miners trapped underground

This article is more than 10 years old
Group of 30 believed to have been sabotaged by rival gang who took their gold and sealed them inside abandoned shaft

A rescue operation is under way in South Africa to reach illegal miners trapped underground since Saturday, amid claims that more than 200 people were underground – although emergency workers believe the figure is likely to be far lower.

It is thought that the miners were sabotaged by a rival gang who took their gold and then used a giant concrete slab to seal them inside the abandoned shaft, effectively leaving them for dead.

On Sunday afternoon the first miners were emerging after a crane shifted the slab from the entrance of the shaft, in an open field in the Benoni district east of Johannesburg. Workers estimated that the operation might be completed by the evening.

ER24, a private emergency medical services operator, tweeted: "First illegal miner just surfaced in #Benoni. Now being checked by medical." More soon followed.

"Several miners have been brought to surface," ER24 said in a statement. "As they are being lifted out of the one squared metre hole, they are escorted to the medical station where they are checked for any injuries. Once they are cleared they are taken into custody by the local police and EMPD (Ekurhuleni metropolitan Police Department)."

The statement added: "It still remains unclear if there is any truth in what the miners have told rescuers that several others are trapped in a separate section of the mine. Once the first group have been brought to the surface, rescue workers will make their way down to inspect and search for other miners."

The 30 miners trapped near the top of the shaft had been able to communicate verbally with rescuers, and claimed that a further 200 or more were trapped in a lower tunnel. But Rogers Mamaila, emergency management services senior district manager in the Ekurhuleni area, told the eNews Channel Africa: "We know of the 30 confirmed. The issue of 200, 300, is not true up to so far. However, because we are dealing with illegal mining, anything is possible.

"We will not rule it out but we are thinking as of now it is not possible because it is human nature that when you are trapped, you will move to the closest door to be rescued. Should it be factual that there's 200 people there, that will be a record. Every time, from time to time when we are dealing with these incidents, people do report about 200, 300, but actually the numbers are way less than that."

Once the concrete slab had been removed, he said, "taking them out will be very easy".

The workers went down into the mine on Saturday. . They failed to come out when their way was blocked.

Rescue workers said a concrete slab and some boulders appeared to have been moved into place recently. Werner Vermaak, of ER24, said he was hearing "from many people" that the miners had been trapped deliberately. "It's quite common for rival gangs to close off mines," he said.

The trapped miners cried for help and were heard by a routine police patrol. "Upon further investigation they found the illegal miners trapped beneath several layers of boulders," Vermaak said. "The officials then called for rescue services.

"Rescue services have since tried to remove the boulders and managed to remove one large boulder. They have also tried to send bottles of water down to the trapped miners."

Illegal mining of abandoned shafts is common in South Africa and has been dubbed Johannesburg's second gold rush. The men, known as zama zama, are typically from poorer African countries and often live underground in dangerous and precarious conditions. Fatal accidents are common.

The illegal diggers sometimes invade active mines. At least 82 men – thought to have been illegal miners – died after an underground fire at a Harmony gold mine in South Africa in 2009.

According to South Africa's department of mineral resources, a 2008 study of the gold sector found that an estimated $509m (£305m) in revenue was lost each year as a result of illegal mining.

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