(16 Jan 2025)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
North-West Province, South Africa – 16 January 2025
1. Various of Stilfontein Mine shaft with machine and cage used in rescue operation
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Mannas Fourie, CEO of Mines and Rescue service:
"This is the first time that we do such a big rescue and recovery and it’s actually the first in the world of what’s been happening here with this big machine. This is a unique machine, it’s a one of a kind. It was the first that’s been developed and designed in South Africa by the mining industry. So we didn’t anticipate that we will be so quick with the operation. We also pushed longer hours and the guys were really effective. They placed themselves targets of what they would like to achieve, how quickly they want to get these people out."
3. Close of pulley on rescue machine
4. Community volunteer Mandla Charles being searched by police after assisting with rescue operation underground
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Mandla Charles, Community volunteer helping rescue operation:
++AUDIO AS INCOMING++
"This government must make a plan and they must go to court. They must account for these bodies. I risked my life to go there to save people. Where was this rescue machine? They said they will put a cage, they will never put someone down. So who will open the cage? We came as community leaders. We risked our lives, we said we want to save those people, we will go down there no matter if it’s dark or blue."
6. Various of machine and cage used in rescue operation
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Mannas Fourie, CEO of Mines and Rescue service:
"You know, parking the truck, driving up to the hole, that’s also stress work. Whenever the guys come out, my people stand right in front of this big hole that’s 2,500 metres deep, where you can fall into. So it’s been a stressful situation for us. The guys have been working long hours, little sleep, but that’s what we do, hey?"
(Police officer says: "High risk element as well.")
"Absolutely it’s huge risks. I mean if you make a mistake you can lose your life here. So the guys are really, really pushing to get as many as possible out. It’s been a tough situation for us, yes."
8. Close of camera attached to cage
9. Military vehicle driving
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Thembile Botman, Community leader:
++AUDIO AS INCOMING++
"At shaft 10 in the underground, there are bodies that people confirmed that are hanging there. People said that to the police, before we could speak to those people, they already reported. The general just said the conditions there are difficult to go down."
11. Wide of rescue workers
STORYLINE:
South African authorities face growing anger over their handling of a standoff with illegal miners trapped in an abandoned gold mine, as the death toll from the incident reached at least 87.
Authorities may face an investigation over their initial refusal to help the miners and instead “smoke them out" by cutting off their food supplies.
The miners are suspected to have died of starvation and dehydration, although no causes of death have been released.
Community groups launched their own rescue attempts when authorities said last year they would not help the hundreds of miners because they were “criminals.”
That tactic to “smoke them out,” as described by a prominent Cabinet minister, was condemned by one of South Africa’s biggest trade unions.
Police and the mine owners were also accused of taking away ropes and dismantling a pulley system the miners used to enter the mine and send supplies down from the surface.
AP video shot by Alfonso Nqunjana
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