| Location | Stilfontein, North West Province, South Africa |
|---|---|
| Deaths | 78-100 [1] [2] [3] reported |
Beginning in August 2024, a siege, conducted by South African authorities, occurred at a closed gold mine in Stilfontein. The siege has resulted in the deaths of at least 78 illegal miners.
The Stilfontein gold mine in North West Province was once a major gold producer but ceased operations in 2013. [4] [5] Since its closure, it has been a site for illicit mining activity, with artisanal miners (known locally as zama zamas) attempting to extract remaining gold deposits in the abandoned shafts. [6] South African authorities began a siege of the mine in August 2024, cutting off food, water and medicine supplies, in an attempt to force illegal miners to come to the surface and be arrested. [1] The blocking of key shaft exits trapped miners underground, with reports suggesting that many were unable to resurface, fearing arrest or retribution from armed underground gangs who control mining operations. [7]
On 13 January 2025, months after the siege began, South African authorities, led by the Department of Mineral Resources, [8] began a court-ordered [3] rescue operation in the mine. A metal cage and lift system was used to recover survivors and deceased miners from a shaft more than 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) underground. [1] The South African National Civics Organisation sent volunteers down the shaft to accompany the rescue teams, and to advocate for the rights of the illegal miners. [3]
Miners, both alive and deceased, were recovered from the mine. Many of the miners emerging alive were emaciated, with tattered clothes and no footwear. [3] More than 1000 miners have surfaced since the siege began. [8]
Seventy-eight bodies were retrieved, [1] though there were also reports of 87 dead [2] or that more than 100 miners may have died. [3] [9] On 16 January, it was reported that no-one else remained in the mine, and all survivors had been rescued. [10]
Police faced anger and a possible investigation for using tactics such as cutting off the miners' food supplies. [2]