At least 60 corpses have been successfully retrieved from a shaft in a closed gold mine in Stilfontein, South Africa, as authorities continue efforts to rescue and arrest illegal miners trapped more than 2 km underground.
The mine, located approximately 150 km from Johannesburg, has been under siege since August 2024 in a government crackdown dubbed “Close the Hole.”
The operation, which cut off food and water supplies to force miners to the surface, led to the arrests of 106 survivors on Tuesday, in addition to 26 apprehended earlier.
“We don’t know exactly how many people are remaining there,” Police Minister Senzo Mchunu told broadcaster eNCA. “We are focusing on getting them, assisting them out.”
By Tuesday night, police confirmed 51 bodies had been retrieved, following nine recovered the previous day.
Efforts to bring others to the surface are expected to continue for days.
“When each one of the miners who are underground went there, no one was counting,” Mchunu added.
Illegal mining in South Africa has long plagued the precious metals industry, costing the government and companies millions annually in lost revenue.
Often centred around abandoned mines, unlicensed miners extract remaining deposits, a practice criticised by Mining Minister Gwede Mantashe as “a war on the economy.”
However, local residents and rights groups have questioned the methods used during the Stilfontein crackdown, with some labelling the prolonged siege as excessively harsh.