Fourteen illegal miners have died and scores of others have been injured following an incident at a disused mine in Nkaneng, near Rustenburg in the North West, police confirmed on Tuesday morning.
Details surrounding the incident remain limited, but provincial police said the deaths occurred at an abandoned mining site in the area, where illegal mining activity has long been a concern.
According to police, “14 illegal miners dead at disused mine – scores injured at Nkaneng near Rustenburg.”
The incident has prompted an urgent response from senior police leadership in the province.
Newly appointed North West provincial police commissioner Lieutenant-General Arthur Peter Adams was on his way to the scene on Tuesday morning, police said.
Authorities had not yet confirmed what led to the deaths and injuries, or whether emergency services were still conducting rescue or recovery operations at the site.
We sent inquiries to North West police spokesperson Colonel Adele Myburgh for further details on the incident.
This story will be updated once a response is received.
The tragedy again places a spotlight on illegal mining in South Africa, particularly around abandoned and disused mine shafts where zama zamas often operate under dangerous conditions. These sites are frequently unstable and lack the basic safety measures required in formal mining operations, increasing the risk of injury, entrapment, violence and death.
In areas such as Rustenburg, where mining remains central to the local economy, disused shafts and informal mining networks have become a persistent challenge for law enforcement, municipalities and communities living near abandoned sites.
Police are expected to provide more information once senior officers and investigators have assessed the scene.
At this stage, the incident remains under investigation.
This is a developing story.
