In what appeared to have been a hostage situation, some workers at a South African mine have spoken of their ordeal being held underground for three days.
Police called the incident near Johannesburg a hostage situation with the hostage-takers armed with weapons like clubs and mining tools.
Over 500 miners at the Gold One mine were held against their will as part of a dispute between two trade unions, police said on Wednesday.
Those held were members of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM). The rival Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) said the miners were rather trapped.
But on Wednesday the more than 100 employees re-emerged from the mine signalling they gaining their freedom.
One worker told the BBC that “I forced my way out because I was worried for my health.”
Some families of the workers camped outside the mine for days, waiting for their loved ones to emerge.
“I am hurting. I do not know when my husband will return. He is not well… he has tuberculosis,” a woman was quoted by the BBC as saying.
“My husband is the breadwinner. I’m even afraid of going back home as I won’t be able to answer my children’s questions,” she said.
Police spokesperson Brenda Mudiri said officers have been interviewing the miners on what happened inside the pit.
“Those we interviewed have told us they were held against their will. They told us about 15 hostage-takers. We are unable to say which union these hostage-takers belong to,” she said.
Source: Africafeeds.com
