Blocked 4,000 illegal miners underground...The hellish survival game starts. [This is the news]

South Africa, plagued by illegal mining problems, has implemented extreme measures to block abandoned mines with at least hundreds of illegal miners remaining.

CNN and BBC reported on the 14th local time that South African authorities closed the northwestern Stilfontaine mine, where illegal miners are believed to remain, and blocked food and water from being brought in.

South African police estimate that at least hundreds to up to 4,000 miners may be inside the mine, who reportedly spent about a month hiding there.

Usually illegal miners can travel up to 4 km underground and stay for months, according to the South African Minerals Council, a mining industry group.

But the underground conditions are said to be worsening at the Stilfontaine abandoned mine as South African authorities cut off food and other supplies, and a police spokesman said a decomposed body was taken to the ground.

According to the police, 1,172 illegal miners who failed to endure the suspension of bringing in daily necessities have voluntarily come to the ground since the shutdown was implemented.

There are also criticisms of the operation, but the authorities are sticking to a tough policy.

"We will get them to the ground," said Qumbujo Nchabeni, the presidential secretary, who stressed that there would be no help to illegal miners.

In addition, some of the illegal miners underground may be armed, preventing police from entering easily.

South African authorities are engaged in such extreme operations because illegal mining, which is rampant regardless of mines and abandoned mines, costs $1 billion a year and 1.4 trillion won in our money.



AI Anchor|Y-GO
Edit Caption | Lee Mi-young


#This is the news