South Africa: More than 150 rescued from Mpumalanga gold mine

The final man to emerge from the disused shaft blew a whistle as he was received by army officers.

British Broadcasting CorporationWatch LiveHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthVideoLiveHomeNewsIsrael-Gaza WarWar in UkraineUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC InDepthBBC VerifySportBusinessExecutive LoungeTechnology of BusinessFuture of BusinessInnovationTechnologyScience & HealthArtificial IntelligenceAI v the MindCultureFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsArtsArts in MotionTravelDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListEarthNatural WondersWeather & ScienceClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingVideoLiveLive NewsLive SportHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthVideoLiveAudioWeatherNewslettersMore than 150 people rescued from abandoned gold mineGetty ImagesThe men say they were forced to mine for rocks containing gold (stock photo)More than 150 illegal miners have been rescued from an abandoned mine in South Africa's eastern Mpumalanga province.

Police say three bodies were recovered earlier this week on the first day of the rescue operation.

Most of those rescued, reportedly foreign nationals, claim they were forced underground against their will to search for gold.

A police spokesperson confirmed the miners have been arrested, and investigations are continuing into illegal mining activities in the region.

Days earlier, the national police head Fannie Masemola also confirmed officers were investigating "allegations of human trafficking and forced labour in these mining operations by those who have resurfaced".

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm2ll8vlp4lo

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