A rescue operation is under way at a gold mine which has been under police siege since Aug as part of a government initiative targeting illegal mining, an industry valued at 60 billion rand a year. The siege, which included cutting off food and water, drew criticism from human rights organisations. In December a court ruled that volunteers could send down supplies to the trapped men, and recently ordered the state to launch a rescue operation. Rescuers, using metal cages to recover people from depths of over 2,000 metres, have now recovered 78 bodies and 216 survivors, who face charges of illegal mining, trespassing, and immigration violations.  Miners' rights groups report that hundreds more survivors and dozens of bodies remain underground.