NATIONAL NEWS - Mr Christo De Klerk, CEO of Mines Rescue Services SA, this morning confirmed that there is indeed signs of life coming from the depths of the mine.
Rescue workers have been able to confirm that knocking sounds can be heard from below the debris in answer to sounds made by the teams working above.
Rescue teams are working with renewed hope and are currently trying to reach the container.
Feb 7 – Day 3
17:24
Members of the media were for the first time allowed onto the premises of Lily Mine for a complete briefing of the current status of the rescue operatation.
Mr Mike Begg, operations director of Vantage Goldfields, as well Mr Christo De Klerk, CEO of Mines Rescue Services South Africa gave a detailed explenation of how the disaster at Lilly Mine occured and what the mine is currently doing to ensure the three missing people are found.
De Klerk is positive that the three missing workers might still be alive. He said that people in similar and worse situations have been known to survive for lenghts of time and the rescue teams will continue searching for at least the next five days if the people are not found sooner.
Three-and-a-half-thousand tons of debris has already been removed. Although they do not know the exact location of the container yet.
10 000 tons of debris still need to be removed and it is believed that a total amount of 50 000 tons of debris caved in.
