A South African court has intervened in a standoff between police and illegal miners, issuing an order to allow emergency workers access to a mine shaft in Stilfontein where hundreds of miners are believed to be trapped. The High Court in Pretoria ruled that all miners underground should be permitted to leave without obstruction.
The court's interim ruling came after concerns were raised about the well-being of the illegal miners, who have been cut off from essential supplies by the police. The South African Human Rights Commission is investigating the police for restricting food and water to the miners.
