Rescue operation at illegal gold mine in South Africa concludes, at least 78 dead

johannesburg, south africa - Rescue workers in South Africa believe no one is left underground in the mine where 87 people have died.

Rescue Operation Concludes with 78 Casualties

A rescue operation at an illegal gold mine in Stilfontein, South Africa, has ended with at least 78 confirmed deaths. The mine had been a site of conflict between authorities and illegal miners, with many miners barricading themselves underground.

Identifying the victims has proved challenging, with some miners reduced to mere bones. Over 1900 miners have been brought to the surface since the police operation began, with a significant number being foreign nationals - 1125 from Mozambique, 465 from Zimbabwe, and only 26 from South Africa.

The head of the rescue operation stated that there are no more individuals left in the mine. Despite sending down a camera on Thursday morning, no signs of life were detected.

Many of the rescued miners were found to be severely malnourished, with nine currently hospitalized and under police guard.

'SABC News' reported findings of cannibalism within the mine, suggesting some miners resorted to consuming body parts of their colleagues to survive.