Recovery operation ongoing at Ekapa Mine, Mantashe tells MPs
Efforts to recover the bodies of five miners trapped in a mud rush at the Ekapa Mine in Kimberley, Northern Cape, are ongoing, Mineral and Petroleum Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe told Parliament on Tuesday.
"We are hoping that today they will start loading the mud, and once they start, they are closer to the bodies," Mantashe said, describing the complex and dangerous recovery operation.
The miners were trapped after a sudden, high-speed mudflow engulfed them last week.
A large portion of the mine crew escaped the rush, but five workers remain buried underground. Recovery has been slowed by high water levels and difficult drilling conditions.
"Up to yesterday, a lot of water has been drained — about a thousand cubic meters — at the beginning they didn't know where the water came from until we dispatched the council of geology to detect where the water came from," Mantashe said.
The minister confirmed that the mine’s chief inspector and recovery team are stationed on-site, overseeing operations, and that work continues to carefully remove mud to reach the miners.
"When we talk about a mud rush, we can’t talk about life after five days of being overrun by mud. Presumption of death is a legal exercise, but our focus is on recovering the bodies safely," he added.
Mining activities at the Joint Shaft Mine remain suspended while recovery continues. Authorities say that every step is being taken to ensure safety as teams work to extract the trapped miners.
"As they load the mud and move closer, we will be able to recover the bodies," Mantashe said, emphasising the careful and methodical approach being followed.
Mantashe is expected to visit the mine again on Friday.
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