Families escape death as mineshaft opens up beneath homes

Residents escaped death after a massive hole, believed to be a mineshaft, opened up beneath their shacks in Angelo informal settlement on December 6.

The affected residents said at about 04:00 they heard creaking noises and sprang up to see the floor opening up beneath their shacks.
Fortunately, the people in the most affected shacks escaped, but the sinkhole swallowed their belongings, including furniture, food, clothing and electrical appliances, within minutes.

Ekurhuleni Disaster and Emergency Management Services (DEMS) assessed the hole on Monday, but when the Advertiser visited the area on Friday morning, nothing had been done to secure the area or help the dozens of affected families.

Residents who live in the shacks neighbouring the ones where the hole opened said they are now like cats sleeping with one eye open,
watching everything that is going on.
“You can’t fall asleep; we’ve experienced an extremely terrifying ordeal and our homes are clearly at high risk because the gaping hole widens day by day,” said Mpho Mobeni, one of the affected residents.

Community leader Jerry Masilela said he called DEMS on Monday and the team pointed out the sort of hazard the hole posed and the threat to the surrounding shacks.

“There was nothing there at all that showed there was a shaft when these shacks were built decades ago.
“My biggest concern is that the homes surrounding the massive hole are still occupied.
“They are obviously at risk of falling into the sinkhole, and the wider public is at risk,” said Masilela.

From a safety perspective, Masilela stated it’s important for the council to cordon off the immediate area and move the families to an alternative piece of land, not too far from their homes.

William Ntladi, of DEMS, confirmed officials who were at the scene found the sinkhole poses a risk to about 30 families.
He said the relevant departments are in talks to relocate the affected families to a safer area as soon as possible.

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