Dozens of men sat and lay together in small caves, some so shallow they couldn’t stand up. The air was wet and stuffy, and wracking coughs echoed in the confined space. Bodies wrapped in fabric and twine were set aside in rows nearby.

The tragedy at the abandoned gold mine near the town of Stilfontein began to unfold in August, when police cut off food supplies for a period of time to the miners working illegally in the mine's tunnels.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is facing calls to order a national inquiry into a police operation that was meant to combat illegal mining but ended up leaving 87 miners to die underground as

In South Africa a months long stand-off between police and illegal miners in an abandoned gold mine comes to end, with close to 80 found dead in grim recovery operation.

More than 70 people have reportedly died while trapped in a mine after a monthlong standoff with the South African government over illegal mining. CBS News' Chris Livesay has more.

Authorities face possible investigation into their initial refusal to help miners and instead 'smoke them out' by cutting off food supplies