The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) says inspectors have found high methane levels at an illegal mining operation, in Welkom, in the Free State, where at least 31 people are said to have died.
Lesotho's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Relations in May informed the High Commission of South Africa that a group of suspected illegal miners had died in a mine ventilation shaft which was last operational in the 1990s.
“Although information on this tragic situation comes sporadically, we are doing our utmost best to act on the information, including information regarding three bodies which have been reported to be retrieved and brought to the surface by other illegal miners,” states the DMRE.
As a result of the high methane levels in the mine shaft, it is currently too risky to dispatch a search team to the shaft.
"However, we are considering various options to speedily deal with the situation. Although this is a unique and strange situation, all relevant stakeholders will endeavor to ensure the suspected deceased illegal miners are brought to the surface,” the DMRE says.