About 150 illegal miners are trapped inside an abandoned mine in Sabie with six already resurfaced and three dead, police said on Wednesday.
Two foreigners, aged 23 and 24, and four South Africans were rescued from the mine.
Mpumalanga police spokesperson Brig Donald Mdhluli said the rescued individuals had said they had been forced to work and mine for gold by their captors under dangerous conditions.
He said three died while trapped inside the mine shaft.
The incident came to light on Tuesday afternoon when members of the K9 unit of a security company patrolling the farms in Sabie encountered four men who appeared to be fleeing for their lives.
Mdhluli said these men, who were suspected illegal miners, informed the security guards that they and others were trapped inside an abandoned mine.
He said officers assigned to Operation Vala Umgodi were immediately sent to the scene.
“In light of this incident, it is believed that the ones running this illegal operation could be heavily armed. This suspicion is further supported by an altercation on November 28 in which alleged illegal miners attacked law enforcement officials, resulting in injuries to a K9 unit warrant officer and the fatal shooting of three suspects,” he said.
Acting Mpumalanga police commissioner Gen Zeph Mkhwanazi said law enforcement agencies were actively monitoring the situation.
“All relevant stakeholders, including search and rescue teams, are at the scene, and visibility in the area has been increased to ensure the safety of the community,” said Mkhwanazi.
TimesLIVE
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