13 more bodies recovered at Gloria mine
Authorities have confirmed that 13 more bodies have been brought to the surface at Gloria Coal Mine in Mpumalanga.
This brings the number of bodies retrieved from a disused shaft at the mine to 18.
A group of at least 22 people were trapped after an underground gas explosion earlier this month.
It is believed that the group were attempting to steal copper cables at the time of the explosion.
ALSO READ:LISTEN: Criminal charges laid over Tegeta, Eskom contract
The mine’s business rescue practitioner, Mike Elliot, says rescue and recovery operations have since been suspended due to underground smoke.
"I've withdrawn the team from the mine because there's a very high concentration of methane in the area that they were working last and it's in the explosive range. So instead of exposing the rescue teams to extreme danger we've withdrawn them from the mine.
Elliot says 9 people remain trapped underground.
"We were informed originally there were 22 of which we’ve brought up 13 so 9 remain somewhere, we have not located them yet."
He says a risk assessment will be done before the team is sent back down the shaft.
LISTEN HERE: