By Kate Bartlett JOHANNESBURG — Hundreds of illegal gold miners remained stuck underground Friday at an unused mine in South Africa that police have surrounded. South African authorities are refusing to allow supplies down to the miners, who they say are criminals. Police initially...

Senzo Mchunu's comments seem more conciliatory than those of a cabinet minister who previously said the government would not send help because they were "criminals".

Volunteers intervened in South Africa, after government says it won't help a group of illegal miners inside a closed mine in the country's North West province who have been denied access to basic supplies as part of an official strategy against illegal mining. Story by Jennie Shin.

South Africa's government says it will not help an estimated 4,000 illegal miners inside a closed mine in the country's North West province who have been denied access to basic supplies as part of an official strategy against illegal mining.

A team including mine safety experts, police, the army and various government departments was scheduled to meet Friday to put together a plan, with the mine safety experts expected to do an immediate assessment of the situation.

The miners in the mineshaft in Stilfontein are believed to be suffering from a lack of food, water and other basic necessities after police closed off the entrances used to transport their supplies underground.