South African authorities, in a bid to rescue hundreds of miners trapped in an abandoned gold mine, have successfully brought 35 miners to safety after a long-delayed rescue mission that began last week.
Reports indicate that over 100 miners are believed to have succumbed to starvation or dehydration.
Mannas Fourie, CEO of Mines and Rescue Service, told reporters that the rescue operation faced delays due to a lack of proper equipment to execute the Buffelsfontein Gold Mine challenging mission.
Police reported that since Friday, at least 24 bodies and 37 survivors have been retrieved from the Buffelsfontein Gold Mine. However, civic organizations and groups representing the miners claim that more than 500 individuals remain underground, many in poor health and suffering from starvation.
Police stated they are uncertain about the exact number of miners still trapped but estimated it to be in the hundreds.
Meanwhile, police and civic rights groups are at odds over the decision to block access to food and medicine.
Authorities argue that recent arrests indicate the miners are capable of emerging on their own, while rights groups counter that the deprivation of essential supplies has left the miners too weak to escape independently.
