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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Gerald Imray

Stilfontein gold mine: Why did 87 people die in South Africa?

Forensic workers at the site of the abandoned gold mine in Stilfontein, South Africa, on Wednesday - (Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

A tragedy has played out in a South Africa after 87 miners were left to die underground as authorities attempted to force them to surrender during a months-long standoff.

The tragedy at the abandoned gold mine near the town of Stilfontein began to unfold in August, when police cut off food supplies to the miners working illegally in the mine's tunnels.

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