South Africa dump site collapse kills 14 suspected illegal miners
South African police have launched an investigation after 14 suspected illegal miners died when a mine dump site collapsed on them on Monday night.
On Monday night, a mine dump site collapse in South Africa claimed the lives of 14 suspected illegal miners and left eight others injured, with an unknown number possibly still trapped underground. The incident occurred at a legally operated mining site, formerly run by a local company, which now serves as an illegal mining location.
Most of the miners, primarily from neighboring Lesotho, are undocumented foreign nationals. Regional police chief Lt-Gen Arthur Adams visited the scene on Tuesday and confirmed that the site’s walls had collapsed, trapping the miners. Three of the injured miners have since been released from the hospital and are now facing charges related to illegal mining and trespassing.
Police continue to search for any miners who may still be buried under the rubble. Illegal mining is a persistent issue in South Africa, where "zama zamas" attempt to mine platinum and other metals in abandoned shafts or dump sites. This practice is especially prevalent in the shrinking gold industry, where the promise of discovering gold remains a strong attraction for desperate individuals, including undocumented migrants.
Written by urgent.news from MyJoyOnline Ghana's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
