11.8.2026
At least 14 suspected illegal miners have died in an abandoned mine shaft in South Africa’s North West province, with several others believed to be injured, police said Tuesday.
The South African Police Service (SAPS) said the group had been operating at the disused mine in the Nkaneng informal settlement near the city of Rustenburg, about 130 kilometers (80 miles) from Johannesburg.
Authorities did not provide detailed information on the circumstances surrounding the miners’ deaths or the number of people injured or trapped, as investigations were still underway.
South Africa, one of the world’s largest producers of gold and other precious minerals, faces a major challenge from illegal mining, with many unemployed people entering abandoned mines in search of remaining precious metals.
It is illegal to enter an abandoned mine shaft in South Africa, but many illegal miners still find ways to access them.
There are many closed mine shafts scattered across the country, and cases of miners becoming trapped, killed or injured are common.
Abandoned mines have attracted large numbers of illegal miners from both within the country and elsewhere in the southern African region. AA
Miners taking a risk with abandoned mine shafts.