The South African police have arrested a group of 14 people, including a wounded teenage boy, who emerged from a gold mine during a standoff with authorities.
Authorities report that hundreds, possibly thousands, of illegal miners known as zama zamas are trapped within the extensive tunnel network of closed gold mines.
Illegal mining is rampant in South Africa, leading to over $1 billion in lost annual revenue, prompting a crackdown by authorities.
Zama zamas, who utilize basic tools in unsafe old mines, fear arrest or deportation as police intensify efforts to clear out these unauthorized miners.
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