Gas explosion suspected to have killed 20 illegal miners

A gas explosion may have caused the deaths of 20 illegal miners whose decomposing bodies were discovered by police in Orkney in the North West.

Provincial police spokesperson Brig Sabata Mokgwabone said police had opened 20 inquest dockets.

“Investigation into the matter continues and it includes the possibility of linking the incident with the video that was circulated on social media platforms, wherein a man calling himself Mafifi was seen pleading for assistance following an apparent smoke inhalation occurrence at shaft No 6,” said Mokgwabone. 

“All the deceased are suspected to be illegal miners commonly known as ‘zama zamas’ operating in obsolete shafts in Orkney and Stilfontein. Furthermore, the deceased suffered severe body burns. As part of investigations, postmortems will be conducted to determine a cause of death for these men whose bodies were found wrapped in white plastic bags.”

The bodies were discovered in two separate locations on Monday and Tuesday. The first six decomposed  bodies were found outside an old and disused mine ventilation shaft while 14 were found in Ariston Road, near the railway line. 

A security guard at the disused ventilation shaft said they believed that the illegal miners suffocated after a gas explosion occurred underground. 

The guard, who asked not to be named, said they were shocked when they discovered the six bodies. 

“These guys use this ventilation shaft to gain entry to the mine. The bodies indicate that they died ages ago and were only brought back up recently. We suspect that they died because of a gas explosion underground,” said the guard. 

The ventilation shaft is located about 3km from where the illegal miners have set up their camp. 

“Its shocking but this comes with their job. These mines are not used so the ventilation down there is not that good. If there is a gas explosion, nobody can breathe and they are all going to die,” he said.

Sipho Mokoena, a community member, told Sowetan that they were shocked by the discovery. 

“We would have understood if they died because they shot each other but we don’t know what happened. The 14 people definitely died underground and their compatriots brought them up and dumped their bodies by the railway because they knew they would be found,” he said. 

Mokoena said they had never seen anything like this. 

Mokgwabone said none of the deceased had been identified and pleaded with family members to come forward for the identification process.