Rescue suspended at Roodepoort mine shaft due to safety concerns

The search and rescue operations for alleged illegal miners trapped in a mine shaft in Roodepoort, west of Johannesburg, has been temporarily called off due to safety reasons.

It is believed that the three mineworkers are trapped underground after their pulley system snapped while they were in the shaft.

Johannesburg Emergency Services spokesperson Robert Mulaudzi says they are searching for alternative routes to access the trapped illegal miners.

“We reached the makeshift platform where there’s a hole which leads to a makeshift test, that area is actually dangerous for the rescuers. Hence the decision to terminate the operation. We are looking at other avenues to try and see whether we cannot use any other avenues but we cannot do that with the maps which we have because that is the only area which we are able to move in. We are told also that the illegal miners that, that was their first attempt to get into that area.”

VIDEO | Mulaudzi says the rescue team is checking if there are other entrances that can be used to reach the miners: