South Africa mine horror as more than 100 illegal miners die after being trapped underground for months More than 100 people have died after being trapped for months beneath an abandoned mine in South Africa.
Authorities surrounded the mine in a bid to force them out and arrest them, with "a minimum of 100" said to have perished after becoming trapped through fear of coming out and being arrested.
Sebata Mokgwabone said they were still verifying information on how many bodies had been recovered and how many survivors brought out after starting a new rescue operation on Monday.
The men had been illegally mining in an abandoned gold mine in Stilfontein, in the north west of the country, when they became trapped in a standoff in November.
Authorities in South Africa have taken an extremely tough line on illegal mining in the country, with the issue having become a widespread problem.
