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Video shows dead bodies, emaciated men in South Africa mine
STORY: :: WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT:: FileAt least 400 illegal miners remained trapped underground in South Africa two months after a police raid, a group working on behalf of the miners said on Monday.:: MACUA and Stilfontein Solidarity Committee:: Released January 10, 2025The group also released the following graphic videos it received from miners that emerged on January 10 when a pulley was restored to the bottom of the cavern.The first video reportedly shows miners’ bodies wrapped in sacks and plastic, while living miners who are still stuck underground plead for help. A Reuters reporter counted what looked like three dozen bodies in the footage. Reuters could not independently confirm that the body-shaped objects were corpses.:: MACUA and Stilfontein Solidarity CommitteeMINER RECORDING: “Look at this. Look, how many days must you live in a situation like this?”A second video shows shirtless miners looking emaciated, with their ribs protruding.The two videos were obtained by the South African miners’ rights group Mining Affected Communities United in Action – or MACUA.Reuters verified the video but was unable to independently verify the location or date they were taken.A spokesperson for the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy said bodies had been retrieved from the mine but said no further details could be divulged ahead of an official report. They added that South African authorities are at the mine with machinery, preparing for a planned rescue this week.The South Africa Police Service did not respond to a request for comment. :: FileThe standoff began in November when police blocked the miners’ supply of food and water to force them out and arrest them for illegally entering the abandoned mine. The miners were searching for leftover gold, an issue that has plagued South Africa for decades.