South African police call off rescue effort after cave-in at illegal gold mine
11 Johannesburg miners brought to the surface but as many as 200 refuse help, fearing arrest
South African police have declared rescue operations at an illegal gold closed after 11 miners were brought to the surface.
An unknown number of men, possibly as many as 200, remained underground, refusing to come to the surface because they feared arrest.
The rescued men, who were uninjured, were immediately handed over to police. Rescue officials said many others who had been trapped by a cave-in were now able to leave the mine if they chose but had refused to come out while officials were present.
"We managed to retrieve 11 young men. We believe they are South Africans; they have been treated and handed over to the police," municipal emergency and rescue services official Roger Mamaila said.
"Yes, there is a possibility there could be more, but we don't know and we are not going to send our rescuers down there."
The number of people still down there remains unclear. Thirty miners who were trapped at a shallow level had earlier told rescuers there were 200 others stuck at a level underneath them.
That was never confirmed, however, with local municipal officials insisting there were only about 30 people trapped.
