Joburg EMS working to retrieve alleged illegal miners from disused Roodepoort mine shaft

JOHANNESBURG - A rescue operation continues in Roodepoort on Monday morning as emergency services work to retrieve alleged illegal miners underground at a disused mine shaft. 

Johannesburg Emergency Management Services (EMS) said it received reports of two people inside the Rand Leases gold mine on Saturday.  

EMS spokesperson, Robert Mulaudzi, said there could be more zama zamas underground.  

"There is also some information surfacing that it might be more than two, which we cannot really confirm at this stage."

Mulaudzi said the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) was involved in the ongoing rescue operation. 

"This area, the jurisdiction of this area where we’re operating, is under the jurisdiction of DMR. Mine rescue teams are also on site, facilitating the lead service in terms of this rescue operation."

The operation comes a month after 78 bodies of illegal miners were retrieved from a disused mine in Stilfontein in the North West during a government-led operation.