Fourteen (14) illegal miners were found dead at the Nkaneng dumping site in Bojanala Sub-District 2 (Rustenburg).
The police said in a statement that they received a report about the incident on Monday evening.
Police also said illegal miners (zama-zamas) were allegedly manually digging in an excavated area when the walls caved in, entrapping them.
They were digging in an area allocated to a company to extract PGM (Platinum Group Metals).
Lieutenant General Arthur Adams, the Provincial Commissioner of the North West, said preliminary information indicates that the suspects were digging at a dumping site.
Most of the deceased are of Basotho nationals.
Eight survivors were admitted to a local hospital, where they are receiving medical treatment.
Three were discharged shortly after receiving treatment and were detained for contravention of the Immigration Act.
The remaining five are still being kept in hospital under police guard.
An inquest investigation was opened to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident.
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