Illegal miners death toll rises Cape Times 4th June 2009 Fifteen more bodies of illegal miners were brought to the surface at Harmony Gold's Eland Shaft in Welkom on Thursday, bringing the death toll to 76.
Free State police spokesperson Superintendent Sam Makhele said the bodies were recovered at 8am on Thursday.
The miners died after an underground fire, probably started by illegal miners themselves, in a disused part of the mine on May 18.
Since then bodies of illegal miners who had died due to smoke inhalation had been turning up at the mine's shaft stations.
Makhele said the 15 bodies were taken to the state mortuary in Welkom.
He said only about 10 bodies had been identified thus far.
Authorities opened the state mortuary at 1pm on Thursday, for an hour, for family members to find relatives and friends among the dead. - Sapa THE CAPE TIMES 4th June 2009
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