Illegal miners entrapped in Pongola
The condition of the trapped men is currently unknown
FIVE men became entrapped underground yesterday (Friday) when Klipwal mine, a disused gold mine in Pongola, collapsed.
The men were part of a group illegally mining gold.
Illegal mining at Klipwal has been an ongoing problem for some time but the illegal miners had been mining the pillars when the mine collapsed.
Multiple rocks fell onto the men, including one, measuring 7m x 5m x 1.5m.
Search and rescue officers from Richards Bay arrived on scene on Friday afternoon and worked late into the night.
They returned to the scene earlier today (Saturday) and were soon joined by search and rescue members from Port Shepstone, Pietermaritzburg and Stanger.
The situation is hairy as there is no mine shaft and the instability inside the mine is hampering rescue efforts.
The condition of the trapped men is currently unknown.
