The South African government has launched a rescue operation at an abandoned gold mine in the country’s North West province, where at least 109 men have died, a group representing the miners said, after local authorities cut off vital supplies in a dramatic bid to crack down on the country’s illegal mining trade.

At least 78 people have died after authorities imposed a blockade on an illegal gold mine here, part of a monthslong standoff between prospectors and a government determined to force them to surface—often by cutting off their food and water.

Rescuers and volunteers have pulled at least 78 dead miners and more than 160 survivors from an abandoned South African gold mine.

Gold prices rose to a more-than-one-month high on Thursday after the latest U.S. economic data pressured the Treasury yields further, following a soft core inflation reading this week that increased bets for a more dovish Federal Reserve policy.

Gold prices surged to a one-month peak on Thursday, nearing $2,700 per ounce, as softer U.S. inflation data fueled hopes of lower interest rates in 2025. Spot gold rose to $2,697.45 an ounce, while February gold