The North West Department of Health has concluded its on-site support operation at the disused mine in Stilfontein, near Klerksdorp.
This after the Mine Rescue Service team conducted a final sweep at the shaft, before declaring that “there are no longer illegal miners or dead bodies left underground.”
The department’s operation commenced on Monday and saw the extraction of about 246 illegal miners who were successfully brought to the surface and the retrieval of 78 dead bodies.
According to the department spokesperson Tshegofatso Mothibedi nine of the illegal miners are receiving medical care at health facilities.
“Two hundred and forty-six (246) individuals were brought to the surface from underground and assessed by medical personnel from the Department of Health, before being handed over to SAPS for criminal processing.
Of the illicit miners, nine have been admitted under the department’s care for further medical check-ups and are under heavy police guard, the rest are in police custody,” said Mothibedi.
In addition, Mothibedi said all the 78 bodies were handled by the department’s Forensic Pathology Services, and that some of the bodies had stayed for days and are in a mortified state.
MEC Sello Lehari has lauded the officials who were part of the department’s operation.
“Operations like these ones are complex, especially when they involve such a huge number.
Over 1 900 illegal miners passed through the hands of our medical personnel, before being handed over to SAPS.
They have done so well.
The work on those bodies have started in earnest, and I’m proud of the work done so far.
We are not done, we will now work on bodies at our mortuaries,” remarked Lehari.