South African authorities have recovered 36 corpses and rescued 82 survivors from a gold mine during a two-day operation aimed at addressing illegal mining activities.

All those rescued alive have been arrested, reported Reuters.

In this regard, the news agency cited a police statement that said: "All eighty-two that have been arrested are facing illegal mining, trespassing and contravention of the Immigration Act charges."

The statement also noted that two of the survivors would face additional charges related to possession of gold.

These survivors will face charges related to illegal mining and immigration violations as the government intensifies its efforts to combat illicit mining operations in the region.

The police initiated their crackdown on the Stilfontein mine, located approximately 150km from Johannesburg, in August.

Authorities reportedly cut off food and water supplies to the miners for months in an effort to force them to the surface for arrest.

According to a miners' rights group cited by Reuters, hundreds of additional miners and many more bodies remain trapped underground.

The group released footage on Monday depicting both corpses and skeletal survivors within the mine.

Rescue operations, employing a metal cage to retrieve individuals from a mine shaft over 2km deep, are expected to continue for several days, with police providing daily updates on the situation.

Illegal mining typically occurs in abandoned mines that are no longer commercially viable, with unlicensed miners, often immigrants from other African nations, extracting remaining resources.

Mining Minister Gwede Mantashe referred to the situation as "a war on the economy", highlighting that the illicit precious metals trade was valued at R60bn ($3.17bn) last year.

Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni stated in November: "We are not sending help to criminals. We are going to smoke them out."

However, a court ruling in December permitted volunteers to deliver supplies to those trapped.

A subsequent ruling last week mandated the government to initiate a rescue operation, which commenced on Monday, the report said.

The government's crackdown, part of an operation named Vala Umgodi, or 'Close the hole' in isiZulu, has faced criticism from human rights organisations and local residents.