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The BBC’s Nomsa Maseko tweeted this picture of one escaped miner shouting down the shaft to tell his colleagues there were no police around

Six illegal gold miners have emerged from an old South African mine in which dozens more are feared trapped. The men came out when it appeared that the threat of arrest which has deterred others from leaving had abated, said the BBC’s Nomsa Maseko on Twitter.

One was seen shouting down the shaft: “It is safe to come out, the police are not here,” our correspondent reported.

The official rescue operation was suspended on Sunday after 11 miners agreed to come out.

Other trapped miners refused to leave after discovering they faced arrest at the surface of the abandoned mine, near Johannesburg.

It is unclear how many remain underground, with reports suggesting they could number 200.

The 11 freed on Sunday are now facing charges of illegal mining, the South African Press Association quoted police as saying.

An emergency services official said a full rescue operation would not restart unless the miners requested it.

Werner Vermaak of ER24 told the BBC the mine site would be guarded by a private security company, who can could for help if the miners change their mind and prevent unauthorised rescue attempts.

However, tweets from our correspondent on Monday suggested the miners were taking advantage of the absence of police at the surface to try to get out.

One of the miners who came out went “back underground to negotiate with the others to come out as there were no cops around”, she tweeted.

The miners are believed to have been trapped since Saturday morning but there no reports of any injuries, among either the trapped or rescued miners.

The mine, in an open field near the town of Benoni, is thought to have been an illegal operation.

Police heard cries for help when they were patrolling the area on Sunday morning.

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.- BBC