Intense rescue efforts are set to continue to find a five-year-old boy trapped for nearly three days in a disused mineshaft in Boksburg, a small town on the outskirts of the South African city of Johannesburg.

Ceoafrica gathered that the boy reportedly fell into the hole sometime between 12:00 and 13:00 local time on Saturday.

It was further gathered that the search operation comprising of miners was called off yesterday night after they experienced difficulty in breathing underground.

However, an emergency services spokesman said yesterday that a drone is going to be used to fly over the area in order to assess the stability of the ground.

Although, residents are expected to gather in their hundreds again to watch the rescue mission, but some community members disclosed that for years, they have called on authorities to seal the hole in question.