Death toll from abandoned gold mine in SA rises to 78

A total of 78 bodies and 216 survivors have been brought to the surface over three days of rescue operations at the abandoned Stilfontein gold mine in the North West Province of South Africa, the police said Wednesday, reported Xinhua.

As rescue operations continued for the third day, the South African Police Service (SAPS) reported that a total of 84 illegal miners had been retrieved alive as of 4 p.m. (1400 GMT) Wednesday.

"All 84 have been placed under arrest. 18 have been certified dead," said SAPS national spokesperson Athlenda Mathe.

She also said that the total number of illegal miners rescued alive from underground has reached 216, while 78 dead bodies have been recovered so far.

Police Minister Senzo Mchunu said Tuesday that the rescue operations will take about 10 days.

The situation at disused mine shafts in Stilfontein has been developing since August 2024, when small groups of illegal miners began emerging from the shafts. Since then, more than 1,576 illegal miners have come to the surface and been arrested, the majority of whom are foreign nationals from neighboring countries, according to earlier police statements.

Many gold mines in South Africa that were closed over the decades due to declining production have been taken over by illegal foreign miners who reopen them in search of gold.