Death toll rises to 87 as standoff between police and miners ends in South Africa

Police say the death toll in a monthslong standoff between authorities and miners trapped while working illegally underground at an abandoned gold mine in South Africa has risen to at least 87. National police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe says Thursday that 78 bodies were retrieved from the mine in an official rescue operation that began Monday, while another nine had been recovered previously. She did not give details on how those other bodies were retrieved. Community groups have launched their own rescue attempts. The miners are suspected to have died of starvation and dehydration. South African authorities have come under scrutiny for refusing to help the miners for months and claiming they were able to get out on their own.