Bloemfontein – The decomposing bodies of nine illegal miners were found underground in Bambanani West shaft mine in Welkom, bringing the number of bodies recovered to 12, Free State police said.
The nine bodies were found on Sunday afternoon with name tags on them, and three were found on Tuesday, Captain Stephen Thakeng said.
The deceased were believed to be from Lesotho.
Between April and May, police recovered the bodies of 11 illegal miners in Harmony Gold's Eland shaft in Welkom.
There was a piece of paper on each of the bodies with the individual's name written on it.
"We are still monitoring the situation and working together with mine security and crime intelligence has also been engaged to closely monitor," said Thakeng.
An inquest docket has been opened.
