JOHANNESBURG, Aug. 17(Xinhua) -- Twenty five people were killed in the shootout between police and the protesting miners in the northern South Africa Thursday afternoon, local health department said on Friday.
"The death toll is standing at 25," provincial health spokesperson Tebogo Lekgethwane said.
The shootout erupted at 4:00 p.m local time on Thursday as police attempted to disperse armed striking miners at Lonmin' s Marikana mine in the northern province of the North West.
Lonmin is the world' s third biggest platinum producer with approximately 28,000 employees, and its operational headquarters are in Johannesburg.
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