Mining experts don't expect rain to hamper Stilfontein rescue operation

STILFONTEIN - Mining experts in Stilfontein don’t expect light rain in the area to hamper the ongoing operation to retrieve hundreds of illegal miners from an abandoned gold mine.

Wednesday is day three of the final phase to clear illegal miners occupying shaft 11 at the Buffelsfontein mine.

It also marks exactly two months since the start of the official rescue.

It's a delicate operation that continues Wednesday with the sending down of a special cage manned by a volunteer.

So far, the cage has made two trips down the shaft.

In the first load, 11 people were brought up to the surface alive.

READ: Stilfontein illegal miners: 'We are dying by the hour'

In the second, the same number was retrieved, bringing it to 22 for now.

Since the start of the week, a total of 60 dead bodies have been recovered.

As reports continue to emerge of dead bodies still piled up underground, forensic pathology vans are on-site and on standby.

There have been some concerns that pathology services will battle to keep up with the large number of bodies, causing a backlog at the local services.

It could be another two hours before the cage returns again with the latest group.