South African police have opened fire and dispersed a crowd of striking miners, with an unknown number of casualties.
It was unclear what ammunition police used to break up the strikers at the Lonmin PLC platinum mine Thursday afternoon near Marikana, 70 kilometers (40 miles) northwest of Johannesburg. News TV images showed people lying on the ground, one with blood flowing from a wound.
Police Capt. Dennis Adrio, a spokesman for the officers at the mine, declined to immediately comment. Journalists at the scene said several of those shot were laying on the ground and were not moving.
The protest and ensuing violence, which began a week ago, has killed at least 10 people there, including two police officers. It’s also drastically affected production at the mine.