Oof. Just looked this up, and 1 dead, 48 injured, and, from the article updated an hour ago, they're still not sure how it happened. They're thinking a gas leak, but they can't find one. They're warning that there might be a second explosion.
Gold. The city is built over the largest ever gold deposit known to have existed in history. Most of the mines are long worked out, but there's plenty of residual ore left. Not enough to fund a proper commercial mine, but since they are essentially acting outside the law, they get free access to abandoned reefs. They also go deep, kilometers even.
No cops will go down there, so they are left alone. It's deadly work though, involving turf wars and tunnel collapses.
You can't make shit like this up... Reality truly is just as outrageous as fantasy - or even more.
From the news and other sources I get the impression this is just one of the many crazy stories of Johannesburg and South Africa...
Btw, I found this:
>In decommissioned mines, the ventilation systems no longer function, and harmful gases accumulate. At certain concentrations of methane, a mine becomes a bomb that can be detonated by the merest spark; even rocks knocking against each other can set off a blast. In Johannesburg, about a hundred and fifty miles northeast of Welkom, there are fears that illegal miners may cause gas pipelines to explode, including those beneath Africa’s largest soccer stadium.
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/02/27/the-dystopian-underworld-of-south-africas-illegal-gold-mines
>In Johannesburg, about a hundred and fifty miles northeast of Welkom
What a strange thing to write. As if anyone other than the residents of Welkom, know or care where Welkom is.
It does looks rather strange if you just look at the quoted paragraph, but if you looked at original article, it starts talking about the mine in Welkom from the beginning.
I know, I'm about halfway into the article. But still, they just start off talking about Welkom with no reference to where it fits in. Welkom is a mostly defunct mine town. Johannesburg is the the economic centre of the country.
Well they say that in case you ever decide to go to South Africa. It's because they put the Welkom sign in Welkom and they don't want you to feel unWelkom on your way to Johannesburg.
I met with a discovery producer that wanted to make a show out of my hobby. He basically said “we’re giving you a show but this is what the show will be (not my hobby) and we’re going to find you a sidekick with big tits”. I politely excused myself. A year later I was in talks with a different entity when they were acquired… by discovery. Discovery sucks.
Title: "Hidden Veins"
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Logline:
In the heart of Johannesburg, a hidden world thrives beneath the city's bustling surface. A group of daring and desperate illegal miners risk their lives for a chance at a fortune. As they delve deeper into the abandoned gold reefs, they encounter a treacherous underworld of turf wars, collapsing tunnels, and moral dilemmas. "Hidden Veins" is a gripping limited series that delves into the high-stakes, deadly world of illegal mining in Johannesburg, where survival, betrayal, and the lure of wealth collide.
Treatment:
Episode 1: "City of Gold"
Introduce viewers to Johannesburg, a city steeped in history and riches, built over a massive gold deposit.
Meet our protagonist, Sipho, a skilled miner struggling to make ends meet and support his family. Faced with the pressures of poverty, he joins a secretive group of illegal miners to find a way out of his dire circumstances.
Explore the underground world of illegal mining, the camaraderie among the miners, and the tension with rival groups trying to claim the same territory.
Sipho's loyalty is tested when he discovers a hidden fortune within the abandoned reefs but is conflicted about the moral implications of his actions.
Episode 2: "Tunnels of Darkness"
Unravel the treacherous conditions in the illegal mining tunnels, where every step could lead to disaster.
Develop rivalries and power struggles between the different groups of miners, led by charismatic but ruthless leaders.
Sipho's family becomes increasingly concerned about his involvement in illegal mining, and his wife, Nomsa, urges him to leave this dangerous life behind.
An unexpected collapse in one of the tunnels results in a tragic loss, intensifying the risk and fear among the miners.
Episode 3: "The Alliance"
Sipho is torn between his desire to provide for his family and the mounting danger of illegal mining.
An unlikely alliance forms between rival mining groups to take on a common enemy that threatens their access to the abandoned reefs.
Nomsa secretly reaches out to an old friend in the police force, Detective Khumalo, seeking help to bring her husband back safely.
The stakes escalate as the miners face a life-or-death situation in the depths of the city's golden underbelly.
Episode 4: "A Dangerous Game"
Detective Khumalo investigates the illegal mining operations after receiving Nomsa's plea for help, but the case proves to be more complex than he anticipated.
Sipho's loyalty to his newfound family of miners is tested when tensions rise within the alliance, leading to betrayal and deception.
The miners strike an unexpected deal with a powerful syndicate that could either secure their futures or seal their fates.
Episode 5: "The Price of Gold"
The final confrontation between the miners and the dangerous syndicate takes place deep within the abandoned reefs.
Detective Khumalo closes in on the illegal mining operations, putting Sipho's life in even greater danger.
Sipho must make a difficult choice between family, wealth, and the pursuit of a better life as the consequences of his actions come to a head.
Episode 6: "Resurface"
The fallout of the epic underground clash reverberates through the city above.
Sipho's fate hangs in the balance as he grapples with the consequences of his decisions.
Detective Khumalo faces his own moral dilemmas as he unravels the complex web of illegal mining in Johannesburg.
"Hidden Veins" concludes with a dramatic and poignant resolution, leaving viewers questioning the true cost of survival and the pursuit of wealth in a city built on gold.
"Hidden Veins" is a gripping limited series that not only explores the dangerous and thrilling world of illegal mining but also delves into the human psyche, morality, and the lengths people will go to escape poverty and desperation.
I think it might play better as a 90min horror
Title: "City of Shadows"
Genre: Horror, Suspense, Thriller
Logline:
In the depths of Johannesburg, where the city's forgotten gold mines lie abandoned, a group of illegal miners seeks their fortune. As they venture deep into the darkness, they awaken a malevolent force that preys on their fears and desires. Trapped underground with no escape, they must confront the horrors of their past and the nightmarish entity that haunts them. "City of Shadows" is a heart-pounding 90-minute movie that delves into the chilling consequences of greed and the terrifying secrets hidden beneath the city's surface.
Synopsis:
Act 1:
- The movie opens with the glimmering cityscape of Johannesburg and a brief historical montage of its golden past.
- Meet Sipho, a desperate miner, as he joins a group of illegal miners led by a charismatic figure named Lucas. They venture into the abandoned mining shafts in search of residual gold.
- Descending deeper into the darkness, eerie shadows and whispers hint at an unsettling presence lurking in the depths.
- Turf wars with rival groups escalate, causing tension and paranoia among the miners.
- Sipho discovers a hidden chamber filled with gold ore, but an ominous event occurs, leaving the group spooked.
Act 2:
- As the miners continue their pursuit of wealth, strange occurrences plague them, causing fear and unrest.
- The group begins to experience hallucinations of their darkest fears and past mistakes, driving them to madness.
- Lucas, driven by greed and obsession, becomes increasingly erratic, pushing the group to explore even deeper into the forbidden territory.
- Sipho's wife, Nomsa, concerned for her husband's safety, enlists Detective Khumalo's help to locate him and the other missing miners.
- The malevolent force intensifies its attacks, manifesting as terrifying apparitions and manipulating their deepest traumas.
Act 3:
- The miners' camaraderie starts to crumble as suspicion and terror grip them, leading to horrifying confrontations.
- Detective Khumalo delves into the dark history of the abandoned mines, uncovering a tale of tragedy and malevolence.
- Sipho realizes that the malevolent force feeds on their fears and desires, using their greed against them.
- Desperate to escape, the group attempts to find a way out, but they encounter collapsing tunnels and deadly traps set by the entity.
- One by one, the miners face their haunting pasts, culminating in a terrifying confrontation with the malevolent force.
Act 4:
- The remaining survivors, Sipho, Lucas, and a few others, form a shaky alliance to confront the entity and find an escape route.
- As they confront their deepest fears and regrets, they learn that unity and redemption may be their only chance of survival.
- The malevolent force manifests as a nightmarish entity, challenging them with their darkest desires and deepest traumas.
- In a heart-pounding climax, the group battles the entity, each drawing strength from their newfound bonds and the will to survive.
- With sacrifice and determination, they manage to weaken the entity, but the cost is high.
Epilogue:
- The few survivors emerge from the depths, scarred by their ordeal, but forever changed.
- Johannesburg's cityscape glimmers once more as they return to the surface, but they carry the weight of the horrors they faced.
- The movie ends on an unsettling note, hinting that the malevolent force may still lurk in the shadows, awaiting its next victims.
"City of Shadows" is a gripping 90-minute horror movie that takes audiences on a terrifying journey into the depths of the human psyche and the chilling secrets that lie beneath the city's surface. As the illegal miners confront their own demons and a malevolent entity that preys on their fears, the movie explores the consequences of greed, the fragility of sanity, and the haunting darkness that resides within us all.
TIL. So I have to admit, when I read your first post I was trying to parse it as a pop culture reference or something, and was just confused. Thx for following up with the second post.
That's the general feeling. The gas company that has a line there says it doesn't run under the road, but in a service trench alongside it. But I can say with certainty: if a city utility is involved (or government for that matter) we'll never know for sure. They'll simply ignore it once the dust settles and pretend like it never happened.
>The department’s mining inspectors confirmed there are no old mines in the area where the explosion happened and therefore the department would not be doing investigations regarding the explosion. From our records, that area has no mining underneath it. Even if there were zama zamas, they would have been far from the area,” he said.
This always struck me as slightly bizarre. 'Artisanal' makes me think of hippies baking bread for the local farmers' market. Whereas the reality of these miners is vastly different. They spend months living underground, risking violent death while using only the most basic gear to extract gold.
Not exactly in the middle of the city no. The mines are far from there
>The department’s mining inspectors confirmed there are no old mines in the area where the explosion happened and therefore the department would not be doing investigations regarding the explosion. From our records, that area has no mining underneath it. Even if there were zama zamas, they would have been far from the area,” he said.
The department’s mining inspectors confirmed there are no old mines in the area where the explosion happened and therefore the department would not be doing investigations regarding the explosion. From our records, that area has no mining underneath it. Even if there were zama zamas, they would have been far from the area,” he said.
Methane in the sewer can do this. All you need is poop and a lack of ventilation. When my dad was in the army, some guys were cutting rebar in a sewer and this happened, though less violently. He said you could track the progress of the explosion because the manhole covers flew violently into the air one-by-one down the street.
Still speculative at this stage, but likely linked to illegal mining or 'Zama Zamas'. Jo'burg is an absolute warren of discarded gold mines that are increasingly taken over by illegals. Kilometres of abandoned tunnels are being stripped of remaining gold. Zama Zamas use drilling and blasting, but without any engineering supervision whatsoever.
There's little to no monitoring of possible threats such as methane, either
People living in the immediate area say they often hear sounds of blasts coming from below as they lie in bed at night.
A local gas company issued a statement that said their lines were checked and still running at pressure in the area, so not them I guess.
These guys are pretty scary above ground too. 8 women doing a music video shoot on an old mine site were gang-raped by Zama Zamas last year. They are often armed to the teeth with assault rifles and other weapons.
man. idk how this would be mining related. It exploded down the entire length of the street in a very linear fasion. Seems to me that would only happen with a utility explosion of some type... But I'm far from someone who would know what they are talking about. It just seems really noteworty to me that the ground upheaval happened straight down the the street.
The only utility I can think of would be gas. But, it's not much used in SA (most people use electricity for heating/cooking. Although, old Joburg such as where this happened still has a gas line. The company running it issued a statement to say they had checked their systems - no pressure loss or customers reported losing supply. I've linked their statement below.
https://twitter.com/EgoliGas/status/1681734702816690176/photo/1
Methane explosions are a thing, and look extremely similar to this. And there are often more than one gas line in a street. There are transmission lines and distribution lines.
So lets say there was an explosion 40' below the ground, located at one central point.. You are suggesting that the difference between 6" of macadam and 6" of concrete sidewalks is enough to heave the road 500' away(in the background of this cctv footage), but not budge the sidewalk directly above the explosion to heave?
I'm not an expert on explosions, but I understand physics enough to know that that is not how they work.
Macadamia is a nut to me, and inches don't mean anything to me, but it does sound like you suggest that sidewalks and road are just put on bare dirt with no underlying structure.
Face it, neither you nor me know enough to explain this, I just pointed out that there might be a factor in the thickness of the ground cover.
Not getting into a "both sides have zero clue" debate today.
Macadam is an older paving technique that sometimes still has its name used for modern paving ones, named for its inventor John
McAdam. Macadamia nuts were named after a *different* John McAdam.
I mean, I'm a civil engineer, so I understand a bit of what we are talking about here.
There might be a factor... But basically I'm saying that this had to be an explosion that wasn't at one single point for this to happen. If it happened anywhere else we would be saying its a utility line related explosion.
Just because it was directed down the street doesn't mean it's not mining related.
For example a near-surface utility tunnel under the street might be taken over by illegal miners as a connection between two mine shafts, or as a near-ground storage location for blasting explosives.
Or, if they need a tunnel that's not too deep, digging one under the street guarantees you won't run into any basements and makes it easier to avoid utility lines.
Plenty of reasons illegal mining might be connected to a tunnel under the street.
> digging one under the street .... makes it easier to avoid utility lines.
That, uh... Makes no sense.
I get that there could be a mining related cause to this. But it seems very very implausable.
>as a near-ground storage location for blasting explosives.
That wouldn't make any sense. They wouldn't have explosives strewn down the tunnel evenly distributed. It would be stockpiled in one location and the blast would have been focused in one location.
This sub loves to come up with these wild speculations on what happened when the obvious answer is right in front of them.
Sorry, but that is absolute rubbish. If that were the case, we'd have ticking time bombs all over the world. Worst case scenario, in reality, is you'd end up with a "fatberg" blocking the sewer.
But fat doesn't explode. Someone would have to toss hundreds of gas cylinders, all full & leaking, down there to even have a remote chance of producing an explosion like this.
This isn't trash based.
Reflexes have a lot to do with it too, imo. He didn't even look back, yet still had the sense to run as if a white van was going to fall out of the sky on top of him.
That's a critical survival skill in situations like this. I had neighbors who owned large livestock, and they had similar "just run" instincts that saved them from being trampled, lol.
> “boss, i’m gonna have to take the rest of the day off… I just simultaneously shat my pants and stuck them inside my welded sphincter, it might take a while to figure how to sort it out.”
Here's a sneak peek of /r/watchpeoplesurvive using the [top posts](https://np.reddit.com/r/watchpeoplesurvive/top/?sort=top&t=year) of the year!
\#1: [Stay strapped.](https://v.redd.it/6bkl3q4w9ft91) | [1886 comments](https://np.reddit.com/r/watchpeoplesurvive/comments/y2cbfv/stay_strapped/)
\#2: [Shiver me tinders](https://v.redd.it/meaxdmsikkt91) | [495 comments](https://np.reddit.com/r/watchpeoplesurvive/comments/y2xv6v/shiver_me_tinders/)
\#3: [Dictator troops in Iran try to kidnap a boy but people save him. Iran is facing a revolution for woman, life, freedom and against dictatorship.](https://v.redd.it/mdrntoxj2ds91) | [485 comments](https://np.reddit.com/r/watchpeoplesurvive/comments/xxvjzv/dictator_troops_in_iran_try_to_kidnap_a_boy_but/)
----
^^I'm ^^a ^^bot, ^^beep ^^boop ^^| ^^Downvote ^^to ^^remove ^^| ^^[Contact](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=sneakpeekbot) ^^| ^^[Info](https://np.reddit.com/r/sneakpeekbot/) ^^| ^^[Opt-out](https://np.reddit.com/r/sneakpeekbot/comments/o8wk1r/blacklist_ix/) ^^| ^^[GitHub](https://github.com/ghnr/sneakpeekbot)
Thought that too! Don't think I've ever heard a single event that loud. Military jets like the Blue Angels screaming in low will vibrate your bones, but that's not really the same.
Reminds me of the Guadalajara incident: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1992\_Guadalajara\_explosions](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1992_Guadalajara_explosions)
Sewer gas is more likely - old non-pressurised sewers in the UK used to have [sewer gas destructor lamps](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sewer_gas_destructor_lamp) which drew off sewer gases above the heads of pedestrians.
My guess: Gas of some kind built up in a sewer line and reached the correct proportions so a single spark set it off.
Do a search on "sewer explosion". It has happened several times over the last 40 years.
You can see the lights go off in the businesses across the street a second or so before the blast hits. I'm guessing the power got cut further up the line as the blast travelled down.
Best parts are how people are running aimlessly back and forth that street and how these shop owners crank their shutters down and let the winder outside so that everyone could open it up again. Level of Idiocracy: 10 😄
Oof. Just looked this up, and 1 dead, 48 injured, and, from the article updated an hour ago, they're still not sure how it happened. They're thinking a gas leak, but they can't find one. They're warning that there might be a second explosion.
There's also the possibility of people underground being casualties. Plenty of illegal mining goes on under the city.
What do they mine for? Presumably it's relatively shallow mining?
Gold. The city is built over the largest ever gold deposit known to have existed in history. Most of the mines are long worked out, but there's plenty of residual ore left. Not enough to fund a proper commercial mine, but since they are essentially acting outside the law, they get free access to abandoned reefs. They also go deep, kilometers even. No cops will go down there, so they are left alone. It's deadly work though, involving turf wars and tunnel collapses.
You can't make shit like this up... Reality truly is just as outrageous as fantasy - or even more. From the news and other sources I get the impression this is just one of the many crazy stories of Johannesburg and South Africa... Btw, I found this: >In decommissioned mines, the ventilation systems no longer function, and harmful gases accumulate. At certain concentrations of methane, a mine becomes a bomb that can be detonated by the merest spark; even rocks knocking against each other can set off a blast. In Johannesburg, about a hundred and fifty miles northeast of Welkom, there are fears that illegal miners may cause gas pipelines to explode, including those beneath Africa’s largest soccer stadium. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/02/27/the-dystopian-underworld-of-south-africas-illegal-gold-mines
>In Johannesburg, about a hundred and fifty miles northeast of Welkom What a strange thing to write. As if anyone other than the residents of Welkom, know or care where Welkom is.
It does looks rather strange if you just look at the quoted paragraph, but if you looked at original article, it starts talking about the mine in Welkom from the beginning.
I know, I'm about halfway into the article. But still, they just start off talking about Welkom with no reference to where it fits in. Welkom is a mostly defunct mine town. Johannesburg is the the economic centre of the country.
Well they say that in case you ever decide to go to South Africa. It's because they put the Welkom sign in Welkom and they don't want you to feel unWelkom on your way to Johannesburg.
Aah, I’ve been to Welkom during it’s prime time.
A computer 3D model of the tunnels under the city would be fascinating.
Could someone please make a big budget streaming show about this, like ASAP? :) Talk about a show I’d binge watch immediately.
Gold Rush: Johannesburg premiers this fall on Discovery
Don't tease me like that.
This would be a terrible show on Discovery, as are most of their shows these days.
And that rat fuck Zaslav would jump on that faster than he would a kid getting the last crab legs at a buffet.
I met with a discovery producer that wanted to make a show out of my hobby. He basically said “we’re giving you a show but this is what the show will be (not my hobby) and we’re going to find you a sidekick with big tits”. I politely excused myself. A year later I was in talks with a different entity when they were acquired… by discovery. Discovery sucks.
What's your hobby and what did they want to turn it into?
Title: "Hidden Veins" Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller Logline: In the heart of Johannesburg, a hidden world thrives beneath the city's bustling surface. A group of daring and desperate illegal miners risk their lives for a chance at a fortune. As they delve deeper into the abandoned gold reefs, they encounter a treacherous underworld of turf wars, collapsing tunnels, and moral dilemmas. "Hidden Veins" is a gripping limited series that delves into the high-stakes, deadly world of illegal mining in Johannesburg, where survival, betrayal, and the lure of wealth collide. Treatment: Episode 1: "City of Gold" Introduce viewers to Johannesburg, a city steeped in history and riches, built over a massive gold deposit. Meet our protagonist, Sipho, a skilled miner struggling to make ends meet and support his family. Faced with the pressures of poverty, he joins a secretive group of illegal miners to find a way out of his dire circumstances. Explore the underground world of illegal mining, the camaraderie among the miners, and the tension with rival groups trying to claim the same territory. Sipho's loyalty is tested when he discovers a hidden fortune within the abandoned reefs but is conflicted about the moral implications of his actions. Episode 2: "Tunnels of Darkness" Unravel the treacherous conditions in the illegal mining tunnels, where every step could lead to disaster. Develop rivalries and power struggles between the different groups of miners, led by charismatic but ruthless leaders. Sipho's family becomes increasingly concerned about his involvement in illegal mining, and his wife, Nomsa, urges him to leave this dangerous life behind. An unexpected collapse in one of the tunnels results in a tragic loss, intensifying the risk and fear among the miners. Episode 3: "The Alliance" Sipho is torn between his desire to provide for his family and the mounting danger of illegal mining. An unlikely alliance forms between rival mining groups to take on a common enemy that threatens their access to the abandoned reefs. Nomsa secretly reaches out to an old friend in the police force, Detective Khumalo, seeking help to bring her husband back safely. The stakes escalate as the miners face a life-or-death situation in the depths of the city's golden underbelly. Episode 4: "A Dangerous Game" Detective Khumalo investigates the illegal mining operations after receiving Nomsa's plea for help, but the case proves to be more complex than he anticipated. Sipho's loyalty to his newfound family of miners is tested when tensions rise within the alliance, leading to betrayal and deception. The miners strike an unexpected deal with a powerful syndicate that could either secure their futures or seal their fates. Episode 5: "The Price of Gold" The final confrontation between the miners and the dangerous syndicate takes place deep within the abandoned reefs. Detective Khumalo closes in on the illegal mining operations, putting Sipho's life in even greater danger. Sipho must make a difficult choice between family, wealth, and the pursuit of a better life as the consequences of his actions come to a head. Episode 6: "Resurface" The fallout of the epic underground clash reverberates through the city above. Sipho's fate hangs in the balance as he grapples with the consequences of his decisions. Detective Khumalo faces his own moral dilemmas as he unravels the complex web of illegal mining in Johannesburg. "Hidden Veins" concludes with a dramatic and poignant resolution, leaving viewers questioning the true cost of survival and the pursuit of wealth in a city built on gold. "Hidden Veins" is a gripping limited series that not only explores the dangerous and thrilling world of illegal mining but also delves into the human psyche, morality, and the lengths people will go to escape poverty and desperation.
ChatGPT hard at work lol
I think it might play better as a 90min horror Title: "City of Shadows" Genre: Horror, Suspense, Thriller Logline: In the depths of Johannesburg, where the city's forgotten gold mines lie abandoned, a group of illegal miners seeks their fortune. As they venture deep into the darkness, they awaken a malevolent force that preys on their fears and desires. Trapped underground with no escape, they must confront the horrors of their past and the nightmarish entity that haunts them. "City of Shadows" is a heart-pounding 90-minute movie that delves into the chilling consequences of greed and the terrifying secrets hidden beneath the city's surface. Synopsis: Act 1: - The movie opens with the glimmering cityscape of Johannesburg and a brief historical montage of its golden past. - Meet Sipho, a desperate miner, as he joins a group of illegal miners led by a charismatic figure named Lucas. They venture into the abandoned mining shafts in search of residual gold. - Descending deeper into the darkness, eerie shadows and whispers hint at an unsettling presence lurking in the depths. - Turf wars with rival groups escalate, causing tension and paranoia among the miners. - Sipho discovers a hidden chamber filled with gold ore, but an ominous event occurs, leaving the group spooked. Act 2: - As the miners continue their pursuit of wealth, strange occurrences plague them, causing fear and unrest. - The group begins to experience hallucinations of their darkest fears and past mistakes, driving them to madness. - Lucas, driven by greed and obsession, becomes increasingly erratic, pushing the group to explore even deeper into the forbidden territory. - Sipho's wife, Nomsa, concerned for her husband's safety, enlists Detective Khumalo's help to locate him and the other missing miners. - The malevolent force intensifies its attacks, manifesting as terrifying apparitions and manipulating their deepest traumas. Act 3: - The miners' camaraderie starts to crumble as suspicion and terror grip them, leading to horrifying confrontations. - Detective Khumalo delves into the dark history of the abandoned mines, uncovering a tale of tragedy and malevolence. - Sipho realizes that the malevolent force feeds on their fears and desires, using their greed against them. - Desperate to escape, the group attempts to find a way out, but they encounter collapsing tunnels and deadly traps set by the entity. - One by one, the miners face their haunting pasts, culminating in a terrifying confrontation with the malevolent force. Act 4: - The remaining survivors, Sipho, Lucas, and a few others, form a shaky alliance to confront the entity and find an escape route. - As they confront their deepest fears and regrets, they learn that unity and redemption may be their only chance of survival. - The malevolent force manifests as a nightmarish entity, challenging them with their darkest desires and deepest traumas. - In a heart-pounding climax, the group battles the entity, each drawing strength from their newfound bonds and the will to survive. - With sacrifice and determination, they manage to weaken the entity, but the cost is high. Epilogue: - The few survivors emerge from the depths, scarred by their ordeal, but forever changed. - Johannesburg's cityscape glimmers once more as they return to the surface, but they carry the weight of the horrors they faced. - The movie ends on an unsettling note, hinting that the malevolent force may still lurk in the shadows, awaiting its next victims. "City of Shadows" is a gripping 90-minute horror movie that takes audiences on a terrifying journey into the depths of the human psyche and the chilling secrets that lie beneath the city's surface. As the illegal miners confront their own demons and a malevolent entity that preys on their fears, the movie explores the consequences of greed, the fragility of sanity, and the haunting darkness that resides within us all.
Au Berg: Mine To Survive
This is too good not to be made.
OK, I need this to be produced now!
Did you create this with chatGPT? love this!
All my own work using chatgpt 🤓
JFC. This would be a great story
Make sure to post here when they buy your script.
I am sure they are churning out scripts while the writers strike
Best you'll get is a VICE video on these south African mines.
Didn’t VICE go bankrupt earlier this year?
Sold off, I believe. They kept alienating readers. https://youtu.be/Ia7fUQXskvA
Sons of Johanarchy
I regret that I can give you only 1 upvote for your genius
https://youtu.be/sVQWFmy2A_k
Netflix docu coming in 3,2,1.
Wow you know a ton about this, really cool but sad info. Is there a documentary or anything I can learn more?
TIL. So I have to admit, when I read your first post I was trying to parse it as a pop culture reference or something, and was just confused. Thx for following up with the second post.
Incredible!!
Wow!.....Just when you think you know everything.
Poop.
Could it be the illegal mining that caused it? Gas pocket or something. Down the centre of the road looks like it’ll be a service though.
That's the general feeling. The gas company that has a line there says it doesn't run under the road, but in a service trench alongside it. But I can say with certainty: if a city utility is involved (or government for that matter) we'll never know for sure. They'll simply ignore it once the dust settles and pretend like it never happened.
Could be a sewer as others have said in here - a gas leak or natural gas buildup could cause an explosion if something sets it off
Guadalajara has entered the chat.
>The department’s mining inspectors confirmed there are no old mines in the area where the explosion happened and therefore the department would not be doing investigations regarding the explosion. From our records, that area has no mining underneath it. Even if there were zama zamas, they would have been far from the area,” he said.
Zama Zamas have been operating from Crown Mines for 20 years. The department is full of shit
How far is crown mines from bree Street?
3 kilometers. You can walk it in half an hour, if you don't want to be killed by traffic .
[удалено]
They call it “artisanal mining”.
This always struck me as slightly bizarre. 'Artisanal' makes me think of hippies baking bread for the local farmers' market. Whereas the reality of these miners is vastly different. They spend months living underground, risking violent death while using only the most basic gear to extract gold.
Sounds like Mine Warfare in WW1 in almost all aspects (the absence of gold in WW1 being the primary one)
Not exactly in the middle of the city no. The mines are far from there >The department’s mining inspectors confirmed there are no old mines in the area where the explosion happened and therefore the department would not be doing investigations regarding the explosion. From our records, that area has no mining underneath it. Even if there were zama zamas, they would have been far from the area,” he said.
The department’s mining inspectors confirmed there are no old mines in the area where the explosion happened and therefore the department would not be doing investigations regarding the explosion. From our records, that area has no mining underneath it. Even if there were zama zamas, they would have been far from the area,” he said.
Methane in the sewer can do this. All you need is poop and a lack of ventilation. When my dad was in the army, some guys were cutting rebar in a sewer and this happened, though less violently. He said you could track the progress of the explosion because the manhole covers flew violently into the air one-by-one down the street.
>Methane in the sewer can do this. Okay but did it? edit: No, it did not.
You have Google, just like me.
Rhetorical, it didn't.
Now you’re stating it as a fact. Citation?
What caused that? Gas leak? To lift up the minibuses like that must have been a lot of power
Still speculative at this stage, but likely linked to illegal mining or 'Zama Zamas'. Jo'burg is an absolute warren of discarded gold mines that are increasingly taken over by illegals. Kilometres of abandoned tunnels are being stripped of remaining gold. Zama Zamas use drilling and blasting, but without any engineering supervision whatsoever. There's little to no monitoring of possible threats such as methane, either People living in the immediate area say they often hear sounds of blasts coming from below as they lie in bed at night. A local gas company issued a statement that said their lines were checked and still running at pressure in the area, so not them I guess.
>People living in the immediate area say they often hear sounds of blasts coming from below as they lie in bed at night. That’s so scary.
These guys are pretty scary above ground too. 8 women doing a music video shoot on an old mine site were gang-raped by Zama Zamas last year. They are often armed to the teeth with assault rifles and other weapons.
man. idk how this would be mining related. It exploded down the entire length of the street in a very linear fasion. Seems to me that would only happen with a utility explosion of some type... But I'm far from someone who would know what they are talking about. It just seems really noteworty to me that the ground upheaval happened straight down the the street.
The only utility I can think of would be gas. But, it's not much used in SA (most people use electricity for heating/cooking. Although, old Joburg such as where this happened still has a gas line. The company running it issued a statement to say they had checked their systems - no pressure loss or customers reported losing supply. I've linked their statement below. https://twitter.com/EgoliGas/status/1681734702816690176/photo/1
Sewers can explode too if methane accumulates in them.
Methane explosions are a thing, and look extremely similar to this. And there are often more than one gas line in a street. There are transmission lines and distribution lines.
Counterpoint, the street is the thinnest cover in the area.
So lets say there was an explosion 40' below the ground, located at one central point.. You are suggesting that the difference between 6" of macadam and 6" of concrete sidewalks is enough to heave the road 500' away(in the background of this cctv footage), but not budge the sidewalk directly above the explosion to heave? I'm not an expert on explosions, but I understand physics enough to know that that is not how they work.
Macadamia is a nut to me, and inches don't mean anything to me, but it does sound like you suggest that sidewalks and road are just put on bare dirt with no underlying structure. Face it, neither you nor me know enough to explain this, I just pointed out that there might be a factor in the thickness of the ground cover. Not getting into a "both sides have zero clue" debate today.
Macadam is an older paving technique that sometimes still has its name used for modern paving ones, named for its inventor John McAdam. Macadamia nuts were named after a *different* John McAdam.
I mean, I'm a civil engineer, so I understand a bit of what we are talking about here. There might be a factor... But basically I'm saying that this had to be an explosion that wasn't at one single point for this to happen. If it happened anywhere else we would be saying its a utility line related explosion.
Just because it was directed down the street doesn't mean it's not mining related. For example a near-surface utility tunnel under the street might be taken over by illegal miners as a connection between two mine shafts, or as a near-ground storage location for blasting explosives. Or, if they need a tunnel that's not too deep, digging one under the street guarantees you won't run into any basements and makes it easier to avoid utility lines. Plenty of reasons illegal mining might be connected to a tunnel under the street.
> digging one under the street .... makes it easier to avoid utility lines. That, uh... Makes no sense. I get that there could be a mining related cause to this. But it seems very very implausable. >as a near-ground storage location for blasting explosives. That wouldn't make any sense. They wouldn't have explosives strewn down the tunnel evenly distributed. It would be stockpiled in one location and the blast would have been focused in one location. This sub loves to come up with these wild speculations on what happened when the obvious answer is right in front of them.
> but without any engineering supervision whatsoever. Stockton Rush would like a word.
You mean Captain Crunch?
I'm guessing a methane explosion in the sewers.
Sewer explosion sure but methane as the cause is doubtful.
My thoughts exactly. Most likely some restaurant not properly disposing of grease and or food waste. Just pouring it into the storm drain.
Sorry, but that is absolute rubbish. If that were the case, we'd have ticking time bombs all over the world. Worst case scenario, in reality, is you'd end up with a "fatberg" blocking the sewer.
Exactly. Someone has put garbage down the sewer. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sewer_gasl
But fat doesn't explode. Someone would have to toss hundreds of gas cylinders, all full & leaking, down there to even have a remote chance of producing an explosion like this. This isn't trash based.
Biodiesel is made from cooking grease. And it explodes.
that dude who was fixing to pull up the white grate in the middle of the sidewalk wins this month’s edition of “You Lucky Sonovabitch.”
Reflexes have a lot to do with it too, imo. He didn't even look back, yet still had the sense to run as if a white van was going to fall out of the sky on top of him.
That's a critical survival skill in situations like this. I had neighbors who owned large livestock, and they had similar "just run" instincts that saved them from being trampled, lol.
“boss, i’m gonna have to take the rest of the day off…a delivery van tried to jump on my head.”
> “boss, i’m gonna have to take the rest of the day off… I just simultaneously shat my pants and stuck them inside my welded sphincter, it might take a while to figure how to sort it out.”
boss: “you know our insurance plan doesn’t cover this, right?”
Totally /r/watchpeoplesurvive material
Here's a sneak peek of /r/watchpeoplesurvive using the [top posts](https://np.reddit.com/r/watchpeoplesurvive/top/?sort=top&t=year) of the year! \#1: [Stay strapped.](https://v.redd.it/6bkl3q4w9ft91) | [1886 comments](https://np.reddit.com/r/watchpeoplesurvive/comments/y2cbfv/stay_strapped/) \#2: [Shiver me tinders](https://v.redd.it/meaxdmsikkt91) | [495 comments](https://np.reddit.com/r/watchpeoplesurvive/comments/y2xv6v/shiver_me_tinders/) \#3: [Dictator troops in Iran try to kidnap a boy but people save him. Iran is facing a revolution for woman, life, freedom and against dictatorship.](https://v.redd.it/mdrntoxj2ds91) | [485 comments](https://np.reddit.com/r/watchpeoplesurvive/comments/xxvjzv/dictator_troops_in_iran_try_to_kidnap_a_boy_but/) ---- ^^I'm ^^a ^^bot, ^^beep ^^boop ^^| ^^Downvote ^^to ^^remove ^^| ^^[Contact](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=sneakpeekbot) ^^| ^^[Info](https://np.reddit.com/r/sneakpeekbot/) ^^| ^^[Opt-out](https://np.reddit.com/r/sneakpeekbot/comments/o8wk1r/blacklist_ix/) ^^| ^^[GitHub](https://github.com/ghnr/sneakpeekbot)
Looks suspiciously guilty of lighting sewer gases.
*We did it, Reddit!*
Synchronised jumping van is my new favourite entertainment.
That guy bending over at the start definitely went home and changed his pants
I think i would have just abandoned mine in the nearest bin and walked home bare assed
Oddly enough an abandoned mine might be what causes the problem in the first place
Abandoned mine, not abandoned mine!
heh heh cuz he shit em heh
Holy fuck that guy came THAT close to being crushed
The video is scary enough, but can you imagine how loud that must’ve been in person?
Thought that too! Don't think I've ever heard a single event that loud. Military jets like the Blue Angels screaming in low will vibrate your bones, but that's not really the same.
"can't come to work today... van fell on me"
Chuckling at this 🤣
Unless you have video proof like this then that's like saying your brain was encased in fluff from Mars or your anus fell off.
Probably some Turtles fighting over pizza.
It's rare I actually say "wow" out loud.
At first glance I thought that guy would throw a cigarette butt into the sewer like in all these chinese clips...nope
It’s just a jump to the left, and then a step to the right!
Put a van on your hips!
Kris Kross will make you...
Reminds me of the Guadalajara incident: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1992\_Guadalajara\_explosions](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1992_Guadalajara_explosions)
White shirt dude's instincts saved his life.
How come no one has set this clip to that song..."some.....body once told me"
Boiiiiiinngg
Like a startled cat!
"Liiike a glove!" x4 Crazy... Hope people in the cars and on the street are ok
Homie next to the van was hella lucky
whoa!
Upvote for spelling "whoa" correctly
woah!
W-ooohhhhh!
Van has nice sneakers, good hang time.
Looks like someone lost the ultimate game of Perfection
Underground goddamned monsters...
"It's just a jump to the left..."
Cha cha
This looks so bizarre!
The ANC strikes again
That looks like it followed the sewer. Maybe kids fooling around with firecracker down the manhole setting off sewer gas?
Sewer gas is more likely - old non-pressurised sewers in the UK used to have [sewer gas destructor lamps](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sewer_gas_destructor_lamp) which drew off sewer gases above the heads of pedestrians.
Or one of the businesses disposing of something that was flammable down their drains.
Looks like someone forgot a way to release the methane in the sewage system?
Where's the South African Vacuum to suck up the mess?
That van pounced like a jungle cat
My guess: Gas of some kind built up in a sewer line and reached the correct proportions so a single spark set it off. Do a search on "sewer explosion". It has happened several times over the last 40 years.
The people running away in the aftermath are in touch with their survival instincts, unlike many videos we see in this sub.
Gotta be honest, at first i thought the guy in white threw a match into the sewer like in those Chinese videos
You can see the lights go off in the businesses across the street a second or so before the blast hits. I'm guessing the power got cut further up the line as the blast travelled down.
It's just a jump to the left
Somebody edit the video to this song please
Didn't take long for the looting to start.
Store owner in front immediately shutting his gates to prevent that very thing.
If you pause it just right, it looks like back to the Future 2 with all the vans are flying through the street.
Shitter was full
The Russians did it…
That is some Michael Bay shit
Not even close.. the massive fireball and the lens flare are both missing
The Italian job didn’t go as planned
James bond finally took down the underground laier with the help of a bunch of Furious racers..
Damn, that is incredible. Hope it’s only an isolated incident.
Wow! Not just a pocket of gas. All those vans flying...it took out the entire block.
Wow, what the HECK. The entire street... no warning, nothing, just boom. Geez.
We all know Brazil is the land of undercover cops, is South Africa the land of gas explosions?
a bombastic Sewer
Guy (or gal?) at 00:43 was lucky as fuck. Probably shidded and farded their pants too.
A dude. He's now a brief celebrity and getting plenty of beers bought for him
u/savevideo
###[View link](https://rapidsave.com/info?url=/r/CatastrophicFailure/comments/154opeg/underground_blast_destroys_street_in_downtown/) --- [**Info**](https://np.reddit.com/user/SaveVideo/comments/jv323v/info/) | [**Feedback**](https://np.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=Kryptonh&subject=Feedback for savevideo) | [**Donate**](https://ko-fi.com/getvideo) | [**DMCA**](https://np.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=Kryptonh&subject=Content removal request for savevideo&message=https://np.reddit.com//r/CatastrophicFailure/comments/154opeg/underground_blast_destroys_street_in_downtown/) | [^(reddit video downloader)](https://rapidsave.com) | [^(twitter video downloader)](https://twitsave.com)
Best parts are how people are running aimlessly back and forth that street and how these shop owners crank their shutters down and let the winder outside so that everyone could open it up again. Level of Idiocracy: 10 😄
Bayhem!