Police say an unknown number of people could remain trapped at the site near Rustenburg
At least 14 suspected illegal miners have been killed and eight others injured after the walls of an excavation collapsed at a dumping site in South Africa’s North West province, the authorities have said.
The suspected ‘zama zamas’ – a local term for illegal miners – were digging for platinum-group metals at Nkaneng, near the mining city of Rustenburg, when walls of heaped earth gave way on Monday night, the South African Police Service (SAPS) said in a statement. Police said a company had been granted a permit to extract the metals at the site.
“[The] authorities are continuing to assess the situation amid concerns that an unknown number of illegal miners may still be trapped underground,” North West provincial police commissioner Lieutenant General Arthur Adams said.According to the commissioner, most of the dead are believed to be Basotho nationals from neighboring Lesotho.
SAPS said three of the injured were arrested on suspicion of illegal mining after being discharged from hospital, while five remained under police guard as they received treatment.
READ MORE: Bodies of dozens of illegal miners pulled to surface in South Africa
The site lies in the heart of South Africa’s platinum belt, about 130 km northwest of Johannesburg.
Mikateko Mahlaule, chairman of the parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Mineral and Petroleum Resources, called the deaths a “painful reminder” of the hazards surrounding illegal mining and demanded stronger action against the industry. He also urged the authorities to expand lawful opportunities for small-scale and artisanal miners while enforcing health, safety, and environmental rules.
#sapsNW [NORTH WEST SAPS CONFIRMS 14 DEATHS OF ILLEGAL MINERS]The Provincial Commissioner of the South African Police Service (#SAPS) in the North West, Lieutenant General Arthur Adams, has confirmed the deaths of 14 illegal miners at the Nkaneng dumping site in Bojanala… pic.twitter.com/jvAvzgxDiZ
— SA Police Service ?? (@SAPoliceService) August 11, 2026Illegal miners in South Africa are commonly called zama zamas, a Zulu expression loosely translated as ‘chance takers’. Tens of thousands are believed to work in abandoned commercial mines or makeshift excavations, often without safety equipment and sometimes underground for weeks. The authorities have linked parts of the illicit industry to criminal syndicates, gang violence, undocumented migration and illegal firearms.
South Africa launched operation Vala Umgodi (Close the Hole) in December 2023 to target illegal mining networks. The campaign is led by SAPS, with 2,200 South African National Defense Force personnel deployed in March 2026 to support operations across five provinces, including North West. As of June 2025, police said the operation had led to more than 27,000 arrests.
Read more Blood gold bonanza: Inside South Africa’s shadow mining empire where crime strikes it richThe latest Nkaneng deaths follow several mass-casualty incidents linked to illicit mining. In 2023, at least 31 suspected illegal miners died in a methane explosion at a disused mine in Free State province. At least 87 miners also died during a months-long standoff at an abandoned gold mine near Stilfontein in late 2024 and early 2025.
Police restricted supplies to force the miners to surface, prompting fierce criticism of the authorities. A court-ordered operation eventually recovered 78 bodies and brought 246 survivors above ground.
Hence then, the article about illegal miners killed in south africa dump site collapse was published today ( ) and is available on Russia Today ( News ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Illegal miners killed in South Africa dump site collapse )
Also on site :
- Drew Barrymore’s 'Stylish' Sofa Is the Perfect 'Cozy' Living Room Upgrade, and It's $200 Off at Walmart
- 1974 Hard Rock Hit, One of Eddie Van Halen's Favorite Guitar Riffs of All Time, Is Every Bit as Powerful 52 Years Later
- New Drug Application for LAE002 (afuresertib) Accepted by China's National Medical Products Administration