At least 14 artisanal miners were killed and eight others injured after the walls of an illicit mine collapsed in South Africa’s North West province, police said Tuesday.
The accident occurred Monday night near Rustenburg, a major platinum-mining hub about 130 kilometers northwest of Johannesburg.
North West provincial police commissioner Lt. Gen. Arthur Adams said rescue operations were continuing and authorities had yet to determine whether anyone else remained trapped underground. Sniffer dogs and specialized equipment were being used in the search.
The miners were reportedly working illegally at the abandoned mine when the collapse occurred.
Tens of thousands of artisanal miners operate illegally in South Africa, often working in disused gold and platinum mines or digging their own shafts in search of valuable deposits. Many work without adequate safety equipment and can remain underground for extended periods.
Police said most of those killed appeared to be nationals of neighboring Lesotho.
Of the eight injured miners, three were discharged from hospital and arrested on suspicion of illegal mining. The other five remained hospitalized under police guard, Adams said.
Illegal mining remains a major problem in South Africa and authorities say it is often linked to organized criminal groups. Informal miners, commonly known as “zama zamas,” frequently operate in gangs and have been involved in violent clashes over mining areas. They have also been accused of intimidating and terrorizing nearby communities.
The country has the world’s largest known platinum reserves, making abandoned and active mining areas particularly attractive to illegal miners.
South Africa witnessed another major illegal mining disaster in late 2024, when hundreds of miners became trapped underground at a gold mine surrounded by police. The standoff continued for months and more than 80 miners died underground, according to authorities.
Earlier this year, President Cyril Ramaphosa deployed soldiers in a yearlong operation aimed at tackling organized crime, with illegal mining among the main targets.