Six bodies have been recovered as the rescue continues

Another six bodies have been removed from a mine in South Africa as efforts continue for a second day to help dozens of illegal miners who are believed to be at least two kilometers (2.2 miles) underground, the NGO Sanco told the BBC.

Eight people made it out alive on Tuesday, adding to the 26 rescued on Monday after they were lifted from the abandoned mine shaft in a crane-operated cage. Nine bodies were found on Monday.

The men have been undercover since the police operation against illegal mining began last year across the country.

Last week, the court ordered the government to launch a long-delayed rescue operation.

This story contains video that some people may find disturbing.

Last year, arguing that the miners entered the pit in Stilfontein deliberately without permission, the authorities took a hard line, withholding food and water.

In November, one government minister said: “We will smoke them.”

And as the rescue operation continued on Tuesday, the minister of mines Gwede Mantashe told a press conference that illegal mining is a war on the economy and the fight against it must be intensified.

More than 100 illegal miners, locally known as “zama zamas”, are reported to have died underground since the mine clearance operation began about 145km (90 miles) southwest of Johannesburg.

The authorities have not yet confirmed this figure as it is yet to be confirmed by an official source, said a BBC spokesperson.

On Tuesday, the BBC saw dozens of emaciated miners – wearing ragged clothes and no shoes or socks – being taken outside the mine by medical professionals.

The day before, Disturbing videos have emerged showing the dire conditions in an abandoned gold mine.

In one of the films, which the BBC has not independently confirmed, corpses wrapped in makeshift body bags can be seen. The second shows the slim figures of some of the miners who are still alive.

Hundreds are thought to still be in the mine and more than 1,000 have been seen in the past few months.

In one of the videos released by the union, the General Industries Workers of South Africa (Giwusa), a number of naked men can be seen sitting on the ground dirty. Their faces are pale. A man’s voice is heard off camera saying that these men are hungry and need help.

“We are starting to show you the bodies of those who died underground,” he said.

“And not all of them… Do you see that people are struggling? Please, we need help.”

In another video, a man says: “This is famine; people are dying of hunger.” He then put the death toll at 96 and asked for help, food and supplies.

The union says the video was recorded on Saturday.

In a press conference held on Monday near where the rescue operation began, the leadership of Giwusa, along with public figures, said that the videos presented a “very bad picture” about the private situation.

“What happened here must be called for what it is; this Stilfontein massacre. Because what this video does is show a lot of human bodies, of miners who died needlessly,” said Giwusa president Mametlwe Sebei.

He accused the authorities of what he described as a “strategy of deception” that was deliberately pursued.

On Tuesday, a government statement said 13 youths, or “minors”, have come underground since the campaign began.

The Ministry of Mines, which is leading the rescue operation, told the BBC that the rescue operation involves lowering the cage which is then lifted when it is loaded with people.

This building is designed to accommodate six or seven people, depending on their weight, according to Giwusa. It has been coming down the shaft every hour.