JOHANNESBURG, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- No illegal miners remain underground after four days of a rescue operation at the abandoned Stilfontein gold mine in South Africa's North West Province, police confirmed Thursday.
National Police Spokesperson Athlenda Mathe reaffirmed that 246 living illegal miners and 78 bodies had been retrieved from the mine since the rescue operation began Monday. A total of 1,907 illegal miners have surfaced since the launch of Operation Vala Umgodi (Close the Hole) in August last year, aimed at curbing illegal mining activities, she added.
