Hundreds are still trapped at the Stilfontein gold mine, a rights group said. Authorities tried to flush out the miners by depriving them of food and water.

The South African government faces criticism over the deaths of at least 60 unlicenced miners trapped during a police siege at a Stilfontein gold mine. As the rescue mission continues, 132 survivors have already been arrested,

One hundred and eighteen illegal miners have been extracted from the Stilfontein mine in South Africa on Monday and Tuesday as part of a rescue operation, of which 36 were certified as dead, police said in a statement on Tuesday.

Two volunteers are at the forefront of a government-sanctioned rescue mission to retrieve illegal miners from Shaft 11 at the Buffelsfontein Gold Mine in Stilfontein.

In South Africa, authorities have retrieved at least 60 bodies from the Stilfontein gold mine following a siege aimed at curbing illegal mining. The operation, which has arrested survivors for illegal activities,

South African rescuers have pulled out 36 dead bodies and 82 survivors from a gold mine deep underground in two days of operations, police said on Tuesday, adding that the survivors would all face illegal mining and immigration charges.

The final phase of the operation to rescue hundreds of illegal Stilfontein miners continues. Since the third phase began on Monday, more than 132 zama zamas, have been brought to the surface. READ: Illegal mining | Police,