South African authorities have come under intense scrutiny for their response after civic groups said hundreds of miners have been trapped deep in an abandoned gold mine for months.

As many as 36 bodies have been brought out of an illegal goldmine in South Africa and 82 others have been taken out alive since Monday. This came months after police blocked supplies of food, water and medicine to the workers living underground in October in an attempt to force them out.

Emergency services in South Africa have taken 36 bodies and 82 survivors from a gold mine deep underground during a rescue operation, according to police.