Illegal miners shoot cops

2007-11-26 16:10

Johannesburg - Illegal miners wielding AK-47 assault rifles have wounded two police constables underground at Barberton's Sheba gold mine, Mpumalanga police said on Monday.

Superintendent Abie Khoabane said the constables were among a group of 12 national intervention unit officers sent underground on Thursday to find illegal miners working a closed shaft.

"...Shots were fired in their direction. One policeman managed to see the suspect carrying an AK-47," he said.

One of the constables was shot in the right thigh. The bullet then ricocheted, hitting the second constable in the groin.

Both were brought to the surface and had since been admitted to hospital, said Khoabane.

He would not reveal the name of the hospital for fear of jeopardising their safety, but did say Constables Qwabe and Silivane were "out of danger".

He said the rest of the team went on to arrest four illegal mineworkers -- wounding one of them.

However, none was found in possession of either firearms or ore.

They faced charges of trespassing.

The wounded 26-year-old miner was under police guard in hospital.

Khoabane said eight more national intervention unit officers had since joined the underground search, which was continuing during normal working hours.

It was thought there were about 150 illegal miners in the area and that they were crossing over to an adjacent open shaft where they were mingling with legal miners.

Khoabane said a group of illegal miners died in the closed shaft earlier this year after becoming trapped.

It was "falling apart", he said.

- SAPA