Africa

14 illegal miners dead, scores injured in South Africa

South ‌African police said on Tuesday that 14 illegal miners had died and scores of others had been injured at a ⁠disused mine near Rustenburg in the North West province.

Police did not give more details. A senior provincial police official is on the way to the scene.

Illegal mining has plagued South Africa for decade’s ‌through ⁠small-time pilfering and organised criminal networks.

Typically, undocumented miners move into mines abandoned by commercial miners and seek to ⁠extract whatever is left. Some are under the control of violent criminal ⁠gangs.

Illegal mining costs the government and mining industry hundreds of ⁠millions of dollars annually in lost sales, taxes and royalties. – Reuters

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