Illegal miners operating beneath Johannesburg have apparently managed to create a recipe for disaster for the South African capital due to their methods.
According to the Sunday Times, the miners actively employ explosives to blast rock beneath the city, often performing such activities in close proximity to gas and fuel lines.
"Should one of those lines be damaged, experts say, everything within a 300-meter radius will be incinerated," the newspaper warns.
As MyBroadband news website notes, the national government "appears to have done little to address the issue," despite Johannesburg Mayor Herman Mashama asking for assistance as some mining blasts reportedly took place as close as 30cm from Transnet pipelines.
"God forbid something happens because the disaster management teams will stand no chance in trying to control it," he said.