The aim of this thesis is to contribute to the understanding of the hangingwall failure process and its relationship with the ground surface subsidence. Results from numerical analysis using continuous methods indicate that the first tension cracks are formed by extension strain on the ground surface, followed by shear failure along an almost planar failure surface between the mining level and the tension crack. The break angle calculated from the model showed good agreement with those calculated using field data. The break angle varied while the orebody width changed. A discrete element method was also used to analyze the hangingwall – caved rock – footwall interaction. The model showed that the caved rock constrains the movement of the hangingwall and footwall. Additionally, the model for the mine section Y1500 indicated that without the backfill the footwall will fail.