SOUTH AFRICA: MASS FUNERAL FOR VICTIMS OF MINING DISASTER

(11 Jun 1995) English/Nat
A crowd of 15-thousand mourners attended a mass funeral Sunday for victims of one of South Africa's worst mining disasters.
After the ceremony in a stadium near the site of the disaster at Vaal Reefs mine, hearses carried 45 coffins to the Orkney cemetery.
Families of the remaining 57 victims chose to take their relatives home for burial.
Communist Party leader Charles Ngcakula blamed the deaths of the 104 miners in last month's disaster on negligence on the part of mine management.
The Oppenheimer Stadium near the Vaal Reefs gold mine was packed for the funeral service for 45 of the 104 miners.
They were all killed on 10 May in one of South Africa's worst mining disasters.
A runaway mine locomotive fell onto an elevator car, sending it crashing to the bottom of a shaft. All aboard were killed.
SOUNDBITE:
"In the name of the directors and management of the Anglo-American group of companies and most particularly in the name of the directors and management of the Vaal Reefs gold mine....."
SUPER CAPTION: Bobby Godsell, Anglo-American Corporation
SOUNDBITE:
".....I offer our deepest sympathy to the families, friends and fellow workers who are gathered here today to bid these men farewell."
SUPER CAPTION: Bobby Godsell, Anglo-American Corporation
The crowd was told that more than 400 miners had been killed so far this year in South Africa's gold mines.
South African Communist party leader Charles Ngcakula said that for every ton of gold mined, at least one mine worker had died.
SOUNDBITE:
"Security and safety measures where black miners were concerned were inadequate. It is in this context that the Vaal Reefs disaster should be seen. Even those who are religiously inclined must have said when the disaster happened that it was not an act of God."
SUPER CAPTION: Charles Ngcakula - Leader Communist Party
And he added that safety in the building industry, farming and factories must also be addressed.
But the losses suffered by the relatives of the Vaal Reefs mine workers united all speakers.
All gave their condolences to the families and friends of those who died.
UPSOUND:
"Our bereaved ones who are here with us as we listen also, give this to us and especially to the bereaved ones.
After the ceremony, hearses carried 45 coffins to the Orkney ceremony.
Families of the remaining 57 victims chose to have burials at home. Authorities delayed the burial of two other victims whose bodies were badly mangled and have not been identified.
Miners' relatives will be helped by a disaster fund, which has so far reached 3.5 (m) million US dollars.
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[@MrTreeofWoe74]

I remember this tragic accident in the 1990's when I was an apprentice working underground at Mount Isa Mines. What gave me much thought was that the cage and head frame I was entrusting every day was the exact same design as was installed at Vaal Reefs. I shuddered to imagine the two deck cage being crushed to a third of its original height.

[@brigitteklue4996]

My dad was one of the rescue team. He told us that the workers was so badly disfigured that you could not identify them. He had to go for therapy thereafter.10 May 1995 was a very sad, sad day for the mining industry.