There are no miners trapped in South Africa’s Stilfontein mine, rescue volunteers say

No more illegal miners are believed to be trapped at a South African gold mine, volunteers working with rescue teams have said.

At least 78 bodies and 200 survivors have been recovered since Monday, after a court ordered the government to facilitate rescue operations at the mine, the scene of one of the most extraordinary tragedies to hit the industry.

Police said they would make sure no one was left on Thursday, when a rescue cage would be sent down the mine.

The controversy began in November when the government ordered police to arrest any miners who surfaced, saying it was determined to end illegal mining.

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During their visit on Tuesday, the police and mines minister were insulted and told to leave by an angry crowd who blamed the government for the death.

Police said more than 1,500 miners had surfaced before the rescue operation began, Reuters news agency reported.

However, others remained underground because they feared arrest or were forced to stay there by the gangs that control the mine.

A spokesman for the South African Police Service said of the volunteer statement that no one was now underground: “We will rely on the Mine Rescue Service to confirm this with their state-of-the-art equipment, and hopefully they will be able to give us a picture of what is going on underground.

“The Mines Rescue Service has confirmed that they will send the cage underground in the morning to see if any illegal miners emerge with the cage. We cannot say for sure that the operation has been called off at this stage.”

Many mines in South Africa have been abandoned over the last three decades by companies that were no longer economically viable.

The miners, often ex-workers, have been taken over by gangs that sell the minerals they find on the black market.

It includes the Stilfontein mine, 145 km (90 miles) southwest of the country’s largest city, Johannesburg, the focus of government efforts to curb the illegal industry.

A rescue cage is making trips down a shaft at least 2 km (1.2 miles) underground to reach the many miners.

Many of the survivors had been without food and water since November, leaving them lightheaded. They are now receiving medical attention.

Authorities say they will face charges of illegal mining, trespassing and violating immigration laws, as most of the miners are undocumented migrants from neighboring countries.

“It’s a crime against the economy, it’s an attack on the economy,” said Mining Minister Gwede Mantashe on Wednesday as he defended his crackdown on miners.

South Africa relied heavily on miners from countries such as Lesotho and Mozambique before the industry went into decline.

Unemployment in South Africa is currently over 30% and many former miners say they have few alternative sources of income.