Illegal gold miners trapped in an abandoned shaft near Johannesburg have begun to emerge, a day after they were caught in a collapse.
South African rescuers had said they were communicating with a group of 30 miners trapped by fallen boulders near the top of the mine.
Those miners suggested there may be 200 more people trapped below.
The miners are believed to have been trapped since Saturday morning but there no reports of any injuries yet.
Authorities suspect the mine, near the town of Benoni, was an illegal operation.
Werner Vermaak of ER24 emergency services said the mine was in the middle of a public field and was not blocked off.
He told the BBC that police were patrolling the area on Sunday morning when they heard cries for help coming from underground.
The first group of miners trapped near the surface began to emerge at 16:00 GMT on Sunday (18:00 local time).
Before they emerged, Mr Vermaak said they would be handed over to police
Heavy equipment was brought in to try to remove the boulders blocking the mine shaft.
Safety concerns
Mining is a vital part of the South African economy and the country is the fourth-biggest gold exporter.
According to South Africa's Department of Mineral Resources, a 2008 study of the gold sector found that an estimated $509m (£309m) in revenue was lost a year as a result of illegal mining.
South Africa has some of the world's deepest gold mines and safety is a major issue.
In recent years the majority of deaths underground have occurred in illegal mines.
Earlier this month nine South African miners died in three different incidents at various legal gold mines operated by the Harmony gold company.
At least 82 men died in a fire at a Harmony gold mine in 2009.
