South Africa's Stilfontein mine: Relatives wait for news as body bags hauled from shaft

Hundreds of people have reportedly been underground since a crackdown on illegal mining began last year.

British Broadcasting CorporationWatch LiveHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthVideoLiveHomeNewsIsrael-Gaza WarWar in UkraineUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC InDepthBBC VerifySportBusinessExecutive LoungeTechnology of BusinessFuture of BusinessInnovationTechnologyScience & HealthArtificial IntelligenceAI v the MindCultureFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsArtsArts in MotionTravelDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListEarthNatural WondersWeather & ScienceClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingVideoLiveLive NewsLive SportHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthVideoLiveAudioWeatherNewslettersRelatives wait for news as body bags hauled from South African mineAFPRelatives, union staff and members of the local community have been protesting outside the mineRescuers have spent Tuesday pulling body bags and survivors from a South African mine where scores of illegal miners are still thought to be at least 2km (1.2 miles) underground.

Eighty-two people have surfaced alive from the shaft in Stilfontein since the rescue mission began on Monday, police say, while 36 dead bodies have been retrieved.

On Tuesday, the BBC saw dozens of emaciated miners - wearing tattered clothes and no shoes or socks - being escorted to a medical tent.

Some of the body bags appeared so light that they were only carried by one person.

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

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cq5g2700346o

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