Trapped Lily miners still under rubble

Monday 8 February 2016 - 7:36pm
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Family members of three men who are trapped in the Lily Mine in Mpumalanga are still waiting anxiously as rescue operations continue.

BARBERTON, MPUMALANGA -  Three people are still trapped at the Lily Mine in Mpumalanga, five days after a section of the mine collapsed on Friday.

Rescue teams found signs of life on Monday morning, but the miners, two men and a woman, had not been brought to the surface yet by Tuesday morning.

Family members have gathered at the mine since Friday, hoping that their relatives will be found alive.

Mike Begg, Lily Mine operations manager, said that Monday was a big challenge as there was a rockfall during the rescue operation. 

Ironically, the three trapped workers were on the surface when the collapse occurred.

The container they were working in – a room in which equipment is issued - plunged into a sinkhole that appeared suddenly.

The mine is closed but two rescue teams are working round the clock to try and reach the three trapped mineworkers. With signs the miners might still be alive, the teams are even more aware that every second of the rescue effort counts.

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