At least 78 illegal miners were found dead in a disused underground gold mine in South Africa following a rescue mission that ended on Thursday, according to media reports.
Police had cordoned off the mine since August and cut off food and water in an attempt to force the miners out so they could be arrested.
Government ministers refused to send aid saying the miners were criminals and that they would "smoke them out".
The court had to order the rescue operation at the mine, which is close to the town of Stilfontein, southwest of Johannesburg.
Reuters quoted the GIWASU labour union as saying this was the worst state-sponsored massacre since the end of apartheid.
Rescuers used a cylindrical metal cage since Monday to pull up 78 corpses and 246 survivors, some of them skinny and confused.
The survivors, who are mostly from Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Lesotho, were arrested and charged with illegal immigration, trespass, illegal mining and other offences.
The police denied any wrongdoing saying they were enforcing a government crackdown on illegal mining and that allowing food and water down during the siege was tantamount to "allowing criminality to thrive".
Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor-In-Chief, Rough & Polished
