A TYRE from a dump truck that was lying next to the container with the missing miners in it has rekindled hope at Barberton’s Lily Mine in Mpumalanga.
By yesterday afternoon the rescuers were said to be about 10 metres from the container, which sank along with the miners.
According to mine management, the tyre was among fragments of rock and debris found at about 5am, making them believe they were close to the miners.
The miners – Yvonne Mnisi, Pretty Nkambule and Solomon Nyerenda – were trapped during the collapse of a shaft last Thursday. Yesterday was day seven of the rescue operation and there has been no communication from the container in the last 48 hours.
Mine operations director Mike Biggs said they were now at a critical stage of the rescue operation as they were moving rock through two draw points.
He explained: “We are sure we are in the zone where the container is. This tells us that all our assumptions have been right. The challenge remains the rock that blocks the draw points.”
Vantage Goldfields CEO Mike McChesney said so far over 5 000 tons of rock had been moved at a rate of a 1 000 tons per day.
McChesney said the operation was now extremely dangerous. “The situation has changed and necessitates the slowing down of the removal of the rock. It is frustrating to all of us. The rock is hanging on a failed pillar and can collapse at anytime. So we cannot send anyone underneath it.”
Amcu president Joseph Mathunjwa said the families of the trapped miners had not lost hope.
