South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is facing calls to order a national inquiry into a police operation that was meant to combat illegal mining but ended up leaving 87 miners to die underground as authorities attempted to force them to surrender during a monthslong standoff.

The death toll in a monthslong standoff between police and miners trapped while working illegally in an abandoned gold mine in South Africa has risen to at least 87, police said Thursday. Authorities faced growing anger and a possible investigation into their initial refusal to help the miners and instead “smoke them out” by cutting

An operation to rescue stranded illegal gold miners in South Africa's North West province has begun, following a months-long standoff. Bloomberg's S'thembile Cele speaks to Jennifer Zabasajja about the rescue effort.

The miners are suspected to have died of starvation and dehydration, although no causes of death have been released.

The derelict Stilfontein shaft, which became a hell hole for hundreds of trapped miners, is just one of 6,000 that have been abandoned by South Africa's gold extraction companies.