After six months trapped underground, roughly 246 illegal miners were rescued at Buffelsfontein gold mine in Stilfontein, South Africa, in mid-January following a court order and intense public outcry.
An estimated 2,000 miners had been trapped underground after police blocked food and water from families and supporters in an attempt to force them into surrendering for arrest. In total, 87 died, many from starvation or dehydration, according to civic groups. Some survivors reportedly resorted to eating cockroaches or the flesh of their deceased colleagues to survive.
Illegal miners, known as “zama zamas” in South Africa, are people who enter mining sites without authorization to extract leftover gold and other minerals, often under dangerous and exploitative conditions.
