At least 14 artisanal miners died and eight were injured when the walls of a mine in South Africa caved in on them, police said Tuesday.
What Happened
South Africa’s most recent major disaster involving illegal mining was in late 2024, when hundreds of miners became trapped underground at a gold mine that had been surrounded by police. Three of the miners injured in the collapse were released from a hospital and placed under arrest on suspicion of illegal mining.
Arthur Adams said a search was ongoing and it was not yet clear if there were more victims. The five others who were hurt remained in the hospital under police guard, Adams said. North West provincial police commissioner Lt. Gen. Sniffer dogs and specialized equipment were deployed to search for any others trapped underground.
