In a statement, the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) said the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Relations of the Kingdom of Lesotho just relayed the message to the High Commission of South Africa that a group of illegal miners passed away in a mine ventilation shaft which was last operated in the 1990s. 

It's understood that the incident might have occurred on 18 May 2023. In response to the Ministry of Lesotho, the DMRE explained that they are doing their best to act on the information at hand although the information of the tragic situation is coming sporadically. This includes news about three bodies which were retrieved and brought to the surface by other illegal miners.

The department added that it is working in collaboration with previous owners of the Harmony mine to deal with the situation. It's understood that the department has also sent inspectors to assess the situation and they're determined that methane levels at mine ventilation shaft 5 are very high. As a result, it is too risky to dispatch a search team now. 

The department, however, stated that it is considering other options to speedily address the matter and ensure that suspected deceased illegal miners are brought to the surface.

OFM News