It has been a week since eight illegal miners who died after being trapped underground in an illegal mine in Ga-Maroga outside Burgersfort. While the remains of six of the deceased have been claimed by their families two bodies remain unclaimed.
Police spokesperson, Motlafela Mojapelo, says the bodies of the Mozambican and Zimbabwean nationals have not yet been repatriated because their families have not been traced.
The illegal miners died in an illegal mine at Ga-Maroga village outside Burgersfort when the only point of entry and exit was closed by soil after heavy rains last Friday.
Mojapelo elaborates, “We can confirm that five of the eight bodies of the suspected illegal miners who died at Ga-Maroga village illegal mine site have been taken by family members. There are two bodies that have not been claimed, a Mozambican and Zimbabwean.
One of those who died was a South African.
Meanwhile, an illegal miner says more than 300 illegal miners, mainly foreign nationals, were in the mines when the eight died. Speaking on condition of anonymity, he says he was also mining in an illegal mine a few meters away from where the incident happened.
He says other illegal miners managed to escape.
“The guys which were working here it were more than 300 some of the guys came out before that open cast, before we closed. We have to close all of these open casts because it is not safe to work if we leave like this. There is no job. People will come back again to try and enter this side but it seems like right now we have to close it we lost our brothers.”
The only South African who died after being trapped will be laid to rest at Morethe village, not far from where the incident happened. The funeral will be on Saturday.
