Trade union officials said they feared that the lives of the miners, trapped since Wednesday night, were at risk. South Africa is a leading gold producer, but the industry has often been accused of a poor safety record. The National Union of Mineworkers (Num) said the rescue process was "very slow". It is worrying," Num spokesman Livhuwani Mammburu said. The Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) said its concerns about dehydration and a lack of food had been heightened by "the sheer number of workers" trapped.

Source: The Star February 01, 2018 18:11 UTC