Mine collapse in South Africa kills 14 suspected illegal miners

Fourteen suspected illegal miners died when a mine dump site collapsed on them Monday night near Rustenburg in South Africa's North West province, authorities said Tuesday.

Eight others were injured in the incident, and police said an unknown number of miners may still be trapped underground. South African police launched an investigation into the collapse.

The site is located near Rustenburg, approximately 100 to 130 kilometers northwest of Johannesburg, a major center for platinum extraction. Regional police chief Lt-Gen Arthur Adams visited the scene Tuesday morning and confirmed the dump site was being legally operated by a mining company for extracting platinum and other metals.

Police spokesperson Colonel Adele Myburgh said the majority of the deceased miners were believed to be from the Sotho ethnic group, with most suspected to be from neighboring Lesotho. It remained unclear how the miners gained access to the legally operated site.

Three of the eight injured miners were released from hospital and arrested on suspicion of illegal mining, according to authorities.

Illegal mining is widespread across South Africa. Thousands of unregistered miners, known locally as "zama zamas"—a Zulu phrase meaning "those who try their luck"—operate in the country, seeking gold and other minerals in abandoned mine shafts and dump sites. These miners frequently work without adequate safety equipment and sometimes remain underground for weeks at a time.

South Africa holds the world's largest platinum reserves. The collapse occurred at a site near the Sibanye mine operation in the Rustenburg area, one of the country's key platinum mining hubs.

Authorities have previously defended operations against illegal mining, citing links to organized crime. Police said initial information about the miners, including their nationalities, was limited as authorities worked to access the collapse site.