- At least 31 suspected illegal miners, believed to be Basotho nationals, died in a gas explosion
- It is believed 28 bodies are still underground
- The miners burnt to death after an underground methane explosion
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
On 17 May at least 31 suspected illegal miners, believed to be Basotho nationals, died in a gas explosion in a ventilation shaft of a mine in Virginia.
The miners burnt to death after an underground methane explosion that was caused by a lit cigarette.
On 9 June the Lesotho Consulate reported to South African authorities that illegal miners at the H5 ventilation shaft mine in Virginia had brought bodies up from underground.
At the scene, police found three bodies covered with black plastic. The bodies bore name tags of the deceased.
According to witnesses, there are still 28 bodies underground.
On 26 June, Minister Gwede Mantashe of the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) visited the mine in Virginia.
“In terms of the behaviour of the methane from the surface, there is movement underground, and our suspicion is that there may be people who are still there. If there are people still there and methane explodes further, there may be additional deaths,” said Mantashe
It has been ascertained that the methane levels are too high, which makes rescue attempts impossible.
While the police and mine security team were still busy at the scene, a 32-year-old man was arrested for illegal immigration. They also found a notebook with food orders apparently meant for the illegal miners.
