Illegal miners rescued
Four illegal miners trapped in a mine near Robertville on the West Rand were rescued on Monday afternoon, paramedics said.
"Rescue workers managed to reach them safely and they were removed from where they were trapped for the past three days in the old mine," ER24 spokesman Christo Venter said.
"Fortunately none of the men sustained any injury and they were removed from the scene after being taken into custody."
The miners were trapped when a mine shaft apparently collapsed.
The name of the mine was not known.
In September, the Mine Health and Safety Inspectorate reported that illegal mining had become a major problem in Gauteng.
Defunct mines in Gauteng were also being targeted by illegal miners, it said in its 2012/13 annual report.
"Illegal mining activities in the old, defunct mines in the East Rand and West Rand... have, in the past two years, become a major challenge for the [department of mineral resources], mining companies, and local authorities," the inspectorate said.
The same month, Mineral Resources Minister Susan Shabangu said progress had been made in stopping illegal mining on the West Rand.
A total of 135 people had been arrested and some had been prosecuted, she said in Matholesville, near Roodepoort, in a report back to residents about progress made in curtailing illegal mining.
-Sapa