DMRE investigating reported deaths of 31 Lesotho nationals in illegal Free State mine
The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) says inspectors have found high methane levels at an illegal mining operation, in Welkom, in the Free State, where at least 31 people are said to have died.
Lesotho's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Relations in May informed the High Commission of South Africa that a group of suspected illegal miners had died in a mine ventilation shaft which was last operational in the 1990s.
“Although information on this tragic situation comes sporadically, we are doing our utmost best to act on the information, including information regarding three bodies which have been reported to be retrieved and brought to the surface by other illegal miners,” states the DMRE.
As a result of the high methane levels in the mine shaft, 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 endeavor to ensure the suspected deceased illegal miners are brought to the surface,” the DMRE says.
Comments
Announcements
What's On
Subscribe to improve your user experience...
Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):
Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):
All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors
including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.
Already a subscriber?
Forgotten your password?
Receive weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine (print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
➕
Recieve daily email newsletters
➕
Access to full search results
➕
Access archive of magazine back copies
➕
Access to Projects in Progress
➕
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA
R4500 (equivalent of R375 a month)
SUBSCRIBEAll benefits from Option 1
➕
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports on various industrial and mining sectors, in PDF format, including on:
Electricity
➕
Water
➕
Energy Transition
➕
Hydrogen
➕
Roads, Rail and Ports
➕
Coal
➕
Gold
➕
Platinum
➕
Battery Metals
➕
etc.
Receive all benefits from Option 1 or Option 2 delivered to numerous people at your company
➕
Multiple User names and Passwords for simultaneous log-ins
➕
Intranet integration access to all in your organisation