This brings the total number of bodies recovered to three after the body of a miner was recovered on Monday, 9 March. Northern Cape police have confirmed operations are ongoing to retrieve the rest of the men..

The men have been trapped 890m underground since a mud rush incident on Tuesday, 17 February. The mine had applied for liquidation and closed on Wednesday, 25 February, with immediate effect. 

The company said the decision was not taken lightly but was considered in the best interests of all stakeholders. It mentioned operational, financial, and safety factors as reasons for the closure.

“The scene is still active, and operations are ongoing,” said Northern Cape police spokesperson Cherelle Ehlers. When the first body was recovered, Kimberley detectives said they were investigating an inquest.

“There’s lots of mud still left up to the roof of the tunnels, and what’s happening is the transport distance back to get it out of the mine (is a problem),” said Mine Rescue Services CEO Mannas Fourie.

“We’re trying to create space where we can pack this mud so that we can speed up the process. With mining, you never know what’s going to be thrown towards you tomorrow.

“We didn’t anticipate (all these factors) getting underground, and that’s making us halt every now and then to deal with this and then to move forward. So yes, it is our priority as well to get back there as quickly as possible,” he said.

Recovery teams have pumped more than 37,500m³ of water from the shaft, completed 233m of life-support drilling, and removed nearly a thousand scoops of mud and debris from the affected area.

Members of the parliamentary committee, who conducted an oversight visit to the mine on Tuesday, 10 March, raised serious concerns about the timing of the company’s provisional liquidation.

They argued the move appeared to be an attempt to escape accountability, particularly because no indication of financial distress was raised during a previous oversight visit in October last year.

OFM News/Zenande Mpame dg

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