Police in South Africa were ordered by a judge to break up a confrontation with illegal miners and give emergency personnel access to a pit where hundreds of people are reportedly holed up.
According to official broadcaster news, the High Court in Pretoria, South Africa, issued an interim order stating that no one should obstruct the departure of any underground miners in the Stilfontein mine.
An attorney who assisted in bringing the issue to court, Yasmin Omar, told news that the decision was merely an interim injunction and that a full hearing will be held the following week.
The decision comes after police cut off food and water supplies, raising worries about the safety of the illegal miners, who may spend months below.
