- Title: SOUTH AFRICA: SIX DIE WHEN MINE COLLAPSES
- Date: 4th August 1964
- Summary: 1. AERIAL SHOT OVER DISASTER AREA SHOWING CAVITY WITH HOUSES ON EDGE 0.15 2. LV HOUSES ON EDGE OF HOLE (2 SHOTS) 0.23 3. SV DAMAGED HOUSE SHOWING WRECKAGE PAN DOWN SIDE OF HOLE 0.23 4. SV SURVIVOR FROM WRECKED HOUSE (2 SHOTS) 0.41 5. CU CRACK IN GROUND 0.46 6. SV BARRIER ERECTED 0.52 7. SV ONLOOKERS 0.56 8. SV MAN KNO
- Embargoed: 19th August 1964 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: BLYVOORUITZICHT, TRANSVAAL, SOUTH AFRICA
- Country: South Africa
- Reuters ID: LVA5IOCD7F8IO00DJMURFBIPJS3M
- Story Text: SIX PEOPLE DIED WHEN A GOLD MINE CAVED IN, ENGULFING THREE HOUSES, AT BLYVOORUITZICHT, IN THE TRANSVAAL, EARLY ON MONDAY MORNING. AS SOON AS THE GIANT CRATER APPEARED, TWENTY-SEVEN NEARBY HOUSES WERE EVACUATED.
THE DEAD WERE ALL FROM ONE FAMILY. THERE WAS NO WARNING OF THE DISASTER, UNIT WITH ROAR AND FLASH OF FLAMES, THEIR HOUSES DISAPPEARED. THE HOLE GRADUALLY WIDENED TO MORE THAN 500 FEET ACROSS, AND NEARLY 100 FEET DEEP.
THE NEIGHBOURS FLED, AND THERE WERE REPORTS OF MIRACULOUS ESCAPES AS PART OF SEVERAL HOUSES SLID INTO THE CRATER.
THERE WAS NO HOPE OF SAVING THE FAMILY FROM THE CRATER. IT QUICKLY FILLED WITH WATER FROM A BROKEN MAIN. THE AREA WAS CORDONED OFF AS MORE CRACKS APPEARED NEARBY.
THE PROBLEM OF SUBSIDENCES IN THE AREA WAS ALREADY UNDER SURVEY, BY THE GOVERNMENT MINES DEPARTMENT. AN OFFICIAL GEOLOGIST SAID THE CAVE-IN APPEARED TO BE SIMILAR TO THAT WHICH SWALLOWED A CRUSHING MILL NEARBY, NEARLY TWO YEARS AGO. THAT TIME 34 AFRICANS WERE KILLED.
- Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None