Illegal mining | About 4,500 miners remain underground

Police waiting for the illegal miners to resurface. eNCA/Bafedile Moerane
JOHANNESBURG – Thousands of miners remain holed up in an abandoned mining shaft in the North West.
Police and soldiers are monitoring exit points for any of them who resurface.
It’s estimated that about 4,500 are still beneath the surface in Klerksdorp.
WATCH: Illegal mining | Army and police monitor shaft exit points
They are reportedly weak with many severely unwell.
There are also reports that some died after food and water supplies were cut off.
It was part of a Vala Mgodi operation by SAPS and the Army.
Over a thousand of their colleagues have already resurfaced and have been arrested.