At Least 14 Miners Found Dead in Abandoned Rustenburg Mine

At least 14 artisanal miners have been found dead at an abandoned mine near Rustenburg in South Africa’s North West province, police said Tuesday, highlighting the persistent dangers surrounding the country’s illegal informal mining industry.

The miners were discovered at a disused mine near Rustenburg, about 130 kilometres northwest of Johannesburg, according to the South African Police Service (SAPS). Police did not immediately disclose how the miners died or when the deaths occurred.

Scores of other miners were reported injured, although authorities did not immediately provide details about the extent of their injuries or the circumstances leading to the incident.

South Africa is home to tens of thousands of artisanal and informal miners who enter abandoned or disused mines in search of remaining deposits of gold, platinum and other valuable minerals. Many work without proper safety equipment or formal oversight, exposing themselves to collapses, toxic gases, fires and other underground hazards.

Informal mining has become a major challenge for South African authorities. Rival groups operating underground have sometimes engaged in violent clashes over access to mining areas and valuable deposits.

The Rustenburg area is particularly significant because it is one of the country’s major platinum-mining centres. South Africa holds the world’s largest known platinum reserves, making the region an important part of the global supply chain for the metal.

Authorities have yet to establish the precise cause of the deaths, and further details are expected after officials reach the site and conduct an assessment. The investigation will examine conditions inside the mine, the sequence of events and how the miners died.

The incident highlights the dangers of abandoned shafts, where unstable passages and limited safety systems can make accidents especially difficult to prevent or respond to. Authorities are expected to work to identify the victims and determine what happened. The findings could also renew scrutiny of illegal mining networks and the broader challenge of securing abandoned mine sites across the country, and preventing further deaths in similar dangerous underground operations.