At least 78 dead bodies have been pulled from an illegal gold mine in South Africa where police cut off food and water supplies for months, in what trade unions called a "horrific" crackdown on desperate people trying to eke out a living.

Rescuers have brought to the surface more than 100 illegal miners who have been trapped underground for months at Stilfontein mine near Johannesburg. Dozens of bodies were also recovered in the rescue operation.

Hundreds are still trapped at the Stilfontein gold mine, a rights group said. Authorities tried to flush out the miners by depriving them of food and water.