14 miners dead in South Africa illicit mine collapse

At least 14 artisanal miners were killed and eight others injured when the walls of an open excavation collapsed at an illicit mining site near Rustenburg, South Africa, police said on Tuesday.

North West provincial police commissioner Lt. Gen. Arthur Adams said the incident occurred late Monday night at a former dumping site close to the town of Nkaneng, roughly 130 kilometers northwest of Johannesburg.

Adams said initial reports suggested a shaft had caved in, but investigators determined the collapse happened at an open excavation where walls of heaped earth gave way. The identities of the deceased, all male, have not yet been established. Most are believed to be nationals of neighboring Lesotho.

Five of the injured were admitted to Job Shimankana Tabane Hospital in Rustenburg, where they remain under police guard. Three others were released from medical care and arrested on suspicion of illegal mining.

A search operation was underway Tuesday, with sniffer dogs and specialized equipment deployed to check for anyone still trapped. Police have opened an inquest and are also investigating the illegal mining activities at the site.

The tragedy highlights the persistent dangers faced by thousands of artisanal miners, known locally as "zama zamas," who work illegally in abandoned gold and platinum mines across South Africa, often without safety equipment. The country's worst recent illegal-mining disaster occurred in late 2024, when more than 80 miners died during a police standoff at a gold mine. In response, President Cyril Ramaphosa deployed soldiers earlier this year in a yearlong operation targeting organized crime, with illegal mining a key focus.