Three men, aged between 40 and 45, died at Nestor Mine in Sabie on Saturday. The mine is abandoned and illegal miners have been extracting gold from it. Following this tragedy, the provincial police commissioner, Lt Gen Mondli Zuma, issued a warning to the community to desist from engaging in illegal mining.
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According to reports, the men were trapped inside the mine when a shaft caved in on them. The accident and the community attempted to rescue them. The victims were declared dead when their bodies were brought to the surface.
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“An inquest has been registered and preliminary investigations have since revealed that the men were part of a group that were conducting unlawful operations, digging underground for minerals, ” said Zuma. He reiterated that illegal mining is dangerous and that those engaged in it, are putting their lives at risk.