Illegal Mining | No hope of retrieving Free State miners' bodies anytime soon

VIRGINA - Authorities still don’t know when the bodies of suspected illegal miners will be retrieved from a disused Free State mine.

At least 31 people are said to have died due to a gas explosion at a shaft in the mining town of Virginia last month.

Authorities say only three bodies were pulled from the 400-meter-deep mine by other zama zamas.

READ: Illegal Mining | 31 dead miners believed to be Lesotho nationals

The Mineral Resources Department says high levels of methane gas underground make it dangerous for inspectors and rescue teams to access the mine.

Meanwhile, the community of Virginia says they live in fear of illegal miners.

They say the Zamas Zamas are causing havoc in the area and the police don’t seem to have things under control.

Authorities still don’t know when the bodies of suspected illegal miners will be retrieved from a disused Free State mine. At least 31 people are said to have died due to a gas explosion at a shaft in the mining town of Virginia last month. #DStv403 #eNCA pic.twitter.com/TsMJDzZ8VB

— eNCA (@eNCA) June 24, 2023