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14 illegal chrome miners found dead after South Africa shaft collapse
Police said the collapse occurred around 9 p.m. Monday near Marikana, and authorities believe other miners may still be trapped.
Fourteen illegal chrome miners were found dead after a cave-in near Marikana in South Africa’s North West province, while authorities said they believe others may remain trapped, Mining.com reported. The collapse was estimated to have happened around 9 p.m. Monday near the Nkaneng informal settlement, about 130 km northwest of Johannesburg.
The bodies were discovered Tuesday morning near an abandoned mine shaft, according to the report. Eight miners were injured, and Associated Press cited in the coverage said three were released from hospital and arrested on suspicion of illegal mining.
Mining.com also said illegal chrome mining and illicit washing plants are common in the region, where informal miners enter abandoned gold and platinum operations to extract remaining deposits. Authorities have stepped up enforcement in North West, seizing 20 trucks and 15 excavators over the past two years.
The crackdown targets more than people working underground, with police focusing on financing, equipment and transport networks that support illegal extraction. The coverage said illegal mines typically operate outside formal safety and environmental standards, increasing risks to miners and nearby communities and potentially harming land, water supplies, and legitimate mining operations.
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