Authorities have launched a rescue operation due to concerns for the safety of the remaining miners, who are feared to be in perilous conditions underground.

A group of 14 illegal miners, including a 14-year-old boy, was apprehended by police in South Africa after emerging from a mine shaft at the Stilfontein mine in the North West province, authorities reported.

The miners, suspected of being part of a larger group still underground, seized the cover of night to surface in an attempt to evade detection by law enforcement, according to National Police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe.

For weeks, authorities have been working to clear the abandoned gold mine as part of a broader crackdown on illegal mining, a longstanding issue that has plagued South Africa. Mathe explained that the miners resurfaced on Sunday evening from shaft 10, which is adjacent to shaft 11, where illegal miners have been emerging. "This shows that the two shafts are connected and that no one is trapped. They can leave the mine on their own but refuse to do so because they want to avoid being arrested," she said.

Earlier, some relatives of the miners accused authorities of trapping them underground and preventing efforts to supply food and water, as reported by state broadcaster SABC. However, the police insist that the miners are not trapped; rather, they are choosing not to come out of the abandoned mine due to fear of arrest.

Authorities remain concerned for the safety of the miners still underground, as they are believed to be in hazardous conditions with limited supplies. A rescue operation has been initiated to address these concerns.

Last week, the Society for the Protection of Our Constitution filed a court application to allow the miners to emerge without the threat of arrest. However, the court ruled against the application, affirming the police's right to enforce the law.

Police reported that some miners immediately retreated back into the shaft upon noticing the police presence. According to authorities, all of those arrested were Mozambican nationals.

There are thousands of illegal miners operating across South Africa, many of whom come from neighboring countries. These miners endure harsh conditions as they work in the country's mineral-rich regions. One individual who resurfaced from the mine shaft on November 17 told AFP that he had spent two months underground.

Some government officials have argued that illegal miners should receive no assistance. Minister of the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, was quoted as saying, "We're going to smoke them out."

South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa has condemned the activities of illegal miners, stating that their actions pose a significant threat to the economy, communities, and personal safety. Despite this, he has called for a peaceful resolution to the standoff.