Decomposed body of illegal miner brought to surface at Stilfontein mine [VIDEO]

The decomposed body of an illegal miner has been recovered from the Stilfontein mine in the North West province.

It is understood the body of the zama zama was retrieved just after 11am on Thursday.

More than 4 000 illegal miners remain underground while police have cut water and food supplies.

Watch: Community leader Thembile Botman speaks about the retrieval of illegal miner’s body

The decomposed body of an illegal miner has been recovered from the Stilfontein mine in the North West province. It is understood the body of the zama zama was retrieved around just after 11am Thursday. Vid: eNCA #Stilfontein .#ZamaZamas #NorthWest @TheCitizen_News pic.twitter.com/J7LEMgogTf

— 𝙵𝚊𝚒𝚣𝚎𝚕 𝙿𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚕 ⚡️ (@FaizelPatel143) November 14, 2024

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Rope

Community leader Thembile Botman told journalists that volunteers had used ropes to pull the body out.

“… Obviously the government has capacity of better measures. This was the only thing that we could get when we requested community members to assist. So, it seems like we will continue with the same system to have 50 people on the surface. Retrieving one body underground.

“It’s almost 2 000 metres going down, that is almost 2km going down, that’s why it is slow,” Botman

Five miners have so far been pulled out alive from the mine. They include miners from South Africa, Mozambique and Lesotho.

Food

Earlier, the South African Police Service (SAPS) and South African National Defence Force (SANDF) allowed food and water deliveries to the illegal miners who remained underground.

Police and other safety officials will remain in place until all illegal miners have resurfaced and been arrested.

Community members have reportedly volunteered to go underground in an attempt to rescue the illegal miners, as police say the conditions are too dangerous for them to enter.

ALSO READ: Man arrested for allegedly giving illegal miners access to shaft hole at home