By Levy Masiteng
Two South African National Defence Force (SANDF) members were killed after falling into an open, abandoned vertical mine shaft while pursuing suspected illegal miners during an anti-illegal mining operation in western Johannesburg.
Authorities at the Department of Defence and Military Veterans confirmed the deaths on Friday.
According to the department, the incident occurred at about 06:00 during Operation Prosper at the abandoned CRD Mine.
The SANDF said soldiers spotted suspected illegal miners emerging from underground workings and pursued them into one of the mine’s tunnels. During the chase, two soldiers fell into an open, abandoned vertical shaft.
“Specialised emergency response teams, including Mine Rescue Services and disaster management personnel, were immediately dispatched to the scene in an attempt to rescue the soldiers. Regrettably, the recovery operation has concluded with the retrieval of the bodies of both members,” the department said.
Minister of Defence and Military Veterans Angie
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