Sabie mine rescue mission going slow

About 24 hours since the rescue mission at a mine in Sabie started, a leader of the operation has told of difficulties which see them pulling out three illegal miners every hour.

So tough is the team’s job that it can take more than 10 rescuers to pull one person with the rope which hangs more than 150 metres deep into the disused shaft at South Mine in Mpumalanga. 

By 7pm on Thursday, 41 illegal miners had been rescued since the operation started at midday on Wednesday.

Capt Poti Potgieter, who heads the SAPS Operation Vala Umgodi rescue team, said their operation got into full swing on Thursday after they struggled with proper equipment on Wednesday, which saw them retrieving only  three bodies. 

Potgieter said one of their main strategies which has helped so far was the use of a rope, two-way radio, a camera and translator.