At least 14 artisanal miners have died and dozens more were injured at a disused mine near Rustenburg in South Africa’s North West province, police said on Tuesday.

The miners were found dead at the mine near Rustenburg, about 130 km (80 miles) northwest of Johannesburg, the South African Police Service said.

Police gave no details on the circumstances surrounding the deaths. The provincial police commissioner was travelling to the site, the police service said.

South Africa has tens of thousands of informal miners operating illegally in abandoned or disused gold and platinum mines, often in dangerous conditions and without adequate safety equipment.

Many spend weeks underground searching for remaining mineral deposits, according to authorities and industry groups.

Illegal mining is also linked to organised criminal networks, with rival groups sometimes involved in violent clashes over control of mining sites and access to mineral deposits.

Rustenburg is a major platinum-mining centre and lies in South Africa’s North West province, part of the Bushveld Complex, which contains some of the world’s largest platinum-group metal deposits.

The latest deaths highlight the continuing dangers faced by informal miners in abandoned South African mines, where limited oversight and hazardous working conditions have contributed to repeated accidents and fatalities.