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A South African bishop has shared a chilling account of the rescue operation at an abandoned gold mine in Stilfontein, where the bodies of dead miners were retrieved, and dozens of survivors emerged in a state of extreme suffering.
Bishop Victor Phalana, acting chairman of the South African Council of Churches, described the harrowing scene: “Even 100 meters away, we could smell the stench of death that surrounded them,” he said.
“Our hearts bled as many of the rescued were barely holding onto life, some possibly as young as 13 years old – emerging from the mine shafts in a state of skin and bones.”
The illegal miners, known as “zama zamas” or “those who take a chance” in Zulu, had been trapped underground for months after working in one of the country’s deepest and most dangerous mines.
South African police confirmed that the rescue operation, which began in November as part of an initiative called “Vala Umgodi” (meaning “close the hole”), has ended, with at least 78 miners confirmed dead and 246 others rescued.
Authorities stated that no one else remained in the mine shaft, as the police operation aimed to shut down the illegal mining activities, which have been rampant in South Africa for years.
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