Three Dead in Diamond Mine Dam Burst
September 15, 22
(IDEX Online) - At least three people died when a dam holding waste from a disused diamond mine burst in South Africa.
Houses were swept away by a devastating mudslide and floodwaters at Jagersfontein, about 60 miles from Bloemfontein, in Free State province, at dawn on Sunday.
An estimated 300 people have been left homeless as the area was covered in grey sludge from the tailings dump. Twenty-three people have been treated for hypothermia and four for broken legs.
The Jagersfontein mine was closed by De Beers in the 1970s and is now owned by Dubai-based Stargems.
Residents have accused the Stargems mining company Jagersfontein Developments of negligence, according to the Eyewitness News website, and say the government failed to conduct the necessary inspections.
Jagersfontein Developments says it will offer $1.14m to assist the community, an external spokesman for the company said in an email cited by Moneyweb.
"A full due diligence was conducted prior to this acquisition showing that the assets, including the dam were safe and secure," it said.
The tailings dam was closed in 2020, according to a Reuters report, due to high water levels, but was w to re-open last year.
President Cyril Ramaphosa visited the disaster area on Monday.
In a statement his office said: "The President's thoughts and prayers are with the families of three people who lost their lives in the incident which allegedly involved a pipe burst from a mine at Jagersfontein."
Pic courtesy @GovernmentZA shows a home devastated by the dam burst