South African police say 8 gold miners shot and killed at illegal mine near Johannesburg

JOHANNESBURG – South African police are searching for the killers of eight gold miners who were found shot dead on the eastern outskirts of Johannesburg.

The South African Press Association quoted police as saying Monday that the men had been working illegally in the area.

Police Lt. Col. Lungelo Dlamini says two of the bodies were found underground and that the motive for the killings is unknown.

Illegal mining is common in South Africa, a major producer of gold and platinum. Workers brave unsafe conditions below ground amid reports of the involvement of organized crime and even clashes between rival groups seeking to extract precious metal from shafts.

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