where local authorities cut off essential supplies in a dramatic attempt to crack down on the nation’s illegal mining activity, resulting in the deaths of at least 109 individuals, according to a group that represents the miners.
According to South African authorities on Wednesday, at least 51 bodies and 106 survivors have been removed from the Stilfontein mine, with many more people believed to be trapped below.
Meshack Mbangula, the leader of the Mining Affected Communities United in Action (MACUA), had previously claimed that 500 people were trapped underground; however, estimates of the number of men in the mine varied.
According to Mbangula on Tuesday, the men may have perished from malnutrition and dehydration. He claimed that the conditions in the several-kilometer-deep shafts are still getting worse.