South African authorities have retrieved at least 60 bodies from the shaft of an abandoned gold mine in Stilfontein, located about 150 km (90 miles) from Johannesburg, following a months-long siege to combat illegal mining.
The operation, which began in August, aimed to flush out unlicensed miners by cutting off food and water supplies, forcing them to surface for arrest.
On Monday, authorities initiated a recovery effort using a metal cage to extract individuals trapped over 2 km (1.2 miles) underground. By Tuesday night, police confirmed that 51 bodies had been recovered, adding to the nine retrieved earlier.
Additionally, 106 survivors were arrested for illegal mining, adding to the 26 detained a day earlier.
South African Police Minister Senzo Mchunu acknowledged the challenge of determining the number of miners still underground.
“We are focusing on assisting those still trapped,” he told local broadcaster eNCA, emphasizing the uncertainty surrounding how many individuals had entered the mine.
Illegal mining has plagued South Africa’s precious metals industry for decades, costing the government and private sector millions annually in lost revenues.
These activities often target abandoned mines deemed commercially unviable, where unlicensed miners risk their lives to extract remaining resources.
The Stilfontein siege, dubbed “Close the Hole,” was part of a broader government initiative to curb illegal mining, which Mining Minister Gwede Mantashe described as “a war on the economy.”
However, residents and rights groups have criticized the aggressive tactics, questioning the humanitarian toll of the prolonged crackdown.
As recovery efforts continue, authorities remain uncertain about the operation’s end date or the total number of people affected underground.
