At Least 14 Artisanal Miners Found Dead at a Disused Mine in South Africa, Police Say
Police said scores more were injured as officers investigated the cause of the deaths at a disused mine shaft.
- On Tuesday, August 11, 2026, the South African Police Service discovered at least 14 illegal miners dead in an abandoned mine shaft near the Nkaneng informal settlement in Marikana, North West.
- Illegal miners frequently occupy abandoned gold and platinum shafts near Rustenburg and Johannesburg, often operating without safety equipment and staying underground for weeks to extract residual deposits.
- Police spokesperson Colonel Adele Myburg reported scores of others were injured, while North West Commissioner Lieutenant General Arthur Adams is traveling to the scene to oversee the investigation.
- Illegal mining plagues South Africa, costing the government and industry hundreds of millions of dollars annually in lost sales, taxes, and royalties while involving violent criminal networks.
- Tens of thousands of artisanal miners operate illegally across South Africa in shafts abandoned by commercial companies, creating a persistent challenge for law enforcement and industry safety standards.
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Africa Intelligence Brief — Tuesday, August 11, 2026
Rio Times · Africa Intelligence Brief August 11 Key Facts — Fourteen dead A rock fall killed fourteen illegal chrome miners near the Nkaneng settlement outside Marikana on Monday night, most of them from Lesotho. —… The post Africa Intelligence Brief — Tuesday, August 11, 2026 appeared first on The Rio Times.
A landslide of rocks in an illegal mine north-west of Johannesburg, South Africa, has caused the death of at least 14 miners, most of them from Lesotho, while several have been injured and others may still be trapped underground. Illegal mining is quite common in this African country. Thousands of unregistered miners, known as 'zama zamas' – which in Spanish translates as 'the one that tempts luck' – are looking for gold and other minerals in ab…
South Africa mine dump collapse kills 14 illegal miners
At least 14 suspected illegal miners were killed and eight injured when a mine dump collapsed in South Africa’s North West province on Monday night, police said. Search and rescue operations are under way for an unknown number of people who may still be trapped at the site near Rustenburg, provincial police commissioner Arthur Peter Adams said. The collapse occurred as the miners were digging for platinum group metals at a disused dump on a …
It is estimated that tens of thousands of illegal miners are active in South Africa, often risking their lives in mines that are no longer operated by companies. They are frequently exploited by criminal networks.
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