South ‌African police said on Tuesday that 14 illegal miners had died ​and scores of others ​had been injured at a ⁠disused mine near Rustenburg ​in the North West province.

Police did ​not give more details. A senior provincial police official is on the ​way to the scene.

Illegal mining ​has plagued South Africa for decades ‌through ⁠small-time pilfering and organised criminal networks.

Typically, undocumented miners move into mines abandoned by commercial miners ​and ​seek to ⁠extract whatever is left. Some are under ​the control of violent ​criminal ⁠gangs.

Illegal mining costs the government and mining industry hundreds of ⁠millions ​of dollars annually ​in lost sales, taxes and royalties.

Source: Reuters