JOHANNESBURG- Over a month ago, a gas explosion occurred in a closed gold mine in South Africa, resulting in the suspected deaths of at least 31 illegal miners. The incident has only come to light recently after relatives of the missing miners reported their disappearance. The miners are believed to be from the neighboring country of Lesotho.

Rescue efforts have been hindered by high levels of methane gas in the ventilation shaft where the miners are presumed to have perished, causing delays in conducting a search. The mine, located in the city of Welkom in the Free State province, was previously operated by South Africa's largest gold-mining company but had been closed down in the 1990s.

The Department of Mineral aDozens of miners are believed to have died in Shaft 5 of the Virginia mine on May 18. In South Africa's old gold-mining regions, illegal prospecting is widespread, with miners venturing into closed and hazardous shafts in search of any remaining deposits. Incidents resulting in fatalities are common among illegal miners, and such cases often go unreported due to fear of arrest among survivors who notify the authorities. Many of these illegal miners come from neighboring countries.

According to the Department of Mineral Resources, it has received information that three bodies were brought to the surface by other illegal miners. However, it is believed that there are still numerous miners trapped underground in the Welkom mine.nd Energy Resources, responsible for mining in South Africa, is still gathering information about the incident. Lesotho's foreign ministry contacted South African authorities after receiving reports from relatives of missing miners.

Due to the high risks involved, authorities have deemed it unsafe to send a search team to the shaft at the moment. However, they are actively exploring different options to address the situation promptly.

The gold basin in South Africa extends around 250 kilometers (155 miles) from Johannesburg to Welkom and is characterized by numerous abandoned mine shafts. While these shafts are no longer economically viable, they present opportunities for illegal miners to potentially find valuable deposits. However, engaging in illegal mining poses significant dangers and hazards.

In Krugersdorp, South African police discovered the bodies of 21 illegal miners at an active mine. Authorities believe that the bodies had been moved from a different disused mine to the active one by other illegal miners to be discovered. Another incident occurred in Limpopo, where nine miners were found dead after being trapped underground due to heavy rains. In 2009, one of the deadliest incidents involving illegal miners took place in Welkom, resulting in the deaths of 82 miners who inhaled toxic gas following a fire in a disused shaft of a different gold mine.

The recent deaths in Welkom led to a diplomatic dispute between South Africa and Lesotho concerning the issue of illegal miners crossing the nearby border. South African Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy, Gwede Mantashe, accused Lesotho of not taking the issue seriously and labeled illegal mining as economic sabotage. In response, Lesotho's prime minister's spokesperson, Thapelo Mabote, rejected the allegations as incorrect and misplaced.

The mine in Welkom was previously owned by Harmony Gold, a company associated with billionaire mining magnate Patrice Motsepe, who is also the brother-in-law of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.