South Africa’s Stilfontein mine: Six bodies pulled up as rescue continues

This story contains a video that some people may find distressing.

Last year, arguing that the miners had entered the shaft in Stilfontein deliberately without permission, the authorities took a hard line, blocking food and water supplies.

In November, one government minister said: “We are going to smoke them out.”

And as the rescue mission continued on Tuesday, mining minister Gwede Mantashe told a press conference that illegal mining was a war on the economy and that fight against it needed to be intensified.

More than 100 of the illegal miners, known locally as “zama zamas”, have reportedly died underground since the crackdown began at the mine some 145km (90 miles) south-west of Johannesburg.

The authorities however, have not confirmed this figure as it is yet to be “verified by an official source”, a spokesperson told the BBC.

On Tuesday, the BBC saw dozens of emaciated miners – wearing tattered clothes and no shoes or socks – being taken away by medical professionals outside the mine.

The previous day, disturbing videos emerged showing the dire situation at the disused gold mine.

In one of the films, which the BBC has not independently verified, corpses wrapped in makeshift body bags can be seen. A second shows the emaciated figures of some miners who are still alive.

Hundreds are thought to be still in the mine while more than 1,000 have surfaced in the past few months.

In one of the videos released by a trade union, the General Industries Workers of South Africa (Giwusa), dozens of shirtless men can be seen sitting on a dirty floor. Their faces have been blurred. A male voice off camera can be heard saying that the men are hungry and need help.