Upwards of 4,000 illegal miners are believed to be inside an abandoned shaft in the country's North West province. A government minister warned, "we are going to smoke them out." South Africa's government says it is not willing to help around 4,

Up to 4,000 illegal miners are estimated to be underground in an abandoned mine while South African authorities try to clear them out and arrest them. View on euronews

South African police and ambulances were at the site Thursday of an old gold mine shaft where around 4,000 illegal miners were claimed to be underground, facing arrest if they surface.