South Africa reports the death of more than 30 people in an abandoned mine near Lesotho

The Lesotho authorities informed Pretoria of the incident, which would have taken place in mid-May

June 23 (EUROPA PRESS) –

The South African authorities have indicated that they have been notified by Lesotho of the deaths of more than 30 people in an abandoned mine in the Free State state, on the border with the country – located in South African territory – before adding that all are believed to have been Lesotho.

The South African Ministry of Mineral Resources and Energy has indicated in a statement published on its account on the social network Twitter that “it has received a report on the death of 31 alleged illegal miners, believed to be Lesotho citizens, in the Virginia mine, at Welcom, Free State”.

Thus, it has revealed that, according to the information provided by Lesotho, the event took place on May 18 at the aforementioned mine, “which was operational for the last time in the 1990s”, before stressing that the authorities “are doing what possible” to clarify what happened.

“Working in collaboration with the previous owners of the mine, Harmony, inspectors from the ministry have assessed the situation and determined that the methane levels in the ventilation shaft are very high. It is too risky to send a search team, although we are considering various options to address the situation as soon as possible,” he said.

Finally, he has asserted that “although it is a unique and strange situation, all actors will work to ensure that the allegedly deceased illegal miners are brought to the surface.”

South Africa has numerous mines for the exploitation of its vast natural resources and accidents at work in them are relatively frequent. In addition, some people illegally enter some mines, including abandoned ones, to try to earn a living.