South African police in standoff with illegal miners holed up in closed mineshaft

A standoff at a closed mineshaft in South Africa continues as police wait to arrest the illegal miners who are holed up inside. The miners are believed to be suffering from a lack of food, water and other necessities after authorities closed off entrances used to transport supplies underground. Though it is unclear exactly how many workers are in the mineshaft, reports suggest there could be hundreds, or even thousands – some of which are believed to be dead. The standoff drew in thousands of family members from abroad on Friday, all calling for an end to the police operation, with hopes they can be reunited with their loved ones and bring them home. “We hope they will come out so we can take them home,” said the family member of an illegal miner. “One has a wife who is here. Her husband went underground in April and has been down there until now. No food, no water. We're trying to support her,” she added. For more info, please go to https://globalnews.ca Subscribe to Global News Channel HERE: http://bit.ly/20fcXDc Like Global News on Facebook HERE: http://bit.ly/255GMJQ Follow Global News on X HERE: http://bit.ly/1Toz8mt Follow Global News on Instagram HERE: https://bit.ly/2QZaZIB #GlobalNews #SouthAfrica #Crime