The North West Department of Health has dismissed reports that the provincial Forensic Pathology Services Facilities are unable to cope with the increasing number of illegal miners’ corpses, extracted at shaft 11 in Stilfontein, during the government-led rescue operation.
This after some of the volunteers that are helping to extract the miners at the shaft, alleged that the bodies of deceased miners were kept inside police vans outside the facilities, due to lack of space.
The department spokesperson, Lucas Mothibedi, has refuted the claims as unfounded.
“The Department has identified several forensic pathology services facilities to deal with the expected, sizable number of corpses as the operation is ongoing.
As of this morning (Wednesday) 51 bodies have been retrieved underground in the last three days of the rescue operation.
All corpses have been handed over to the Department’s forensic facilities,” said Mothibedi.
In addition, Mothibedi said they have also strengthened their medical personnel, by contracting more nurses, radiographers, doctors and other medical personnel.
“The department is also assisting with identification processes through DNA and other medical means.
These include postmortems to determine whether these deaths were as a result of hunger as alleged, illness or injuries,” explained Mothibedi.
He highlighted that 87 bodies have been retrieved in the past two days, 36 on Monday and 51 on Tuesday.
According to Mothibedi, the province has enough space at its services to store the bodies, adding that the Dr Kenneth Kaunda District facility has 70 spaces, while the Bojanala District has 240 spaces.
He also sought to clarify the use of Gauteng Forensic vans.
“The province has 20 vehicles that can carry four bodies each.
Due to the high number of bodies in a short space, Gauteng Forensic Pathology Services has been asked to assist with vehicles to deliver the deceased to North West Forensic Pathology Services mortuaries.
All bodies remain in the North West,” remarked Mothibedi.
