Overview

• A rescue operation at the abandoned Stilfontein goldmine in South Africa concluded with 246 miners rescued and 78 confirmed dead.
• The miners, trapped for months, were part of an illegal mining operation in a disused shaft over two kilometers deep.
• Government crackdowns on illegal mining included cutting off food and water supplies and blocking exits, leading to accusations of negligence and human rights violations.
• Survivors face arrest for illegal mining, with many being foreign nationals from neighboring countries like Lesotho and Mozambique.
• The tragedy has reignited debates about poverty, unemployment, and the lack of economic alternatives in South Africa's mining regions.