Image from Space Shows Five-Mile Diamond Dam Devastation
October 23, 22
(IDEX Online) - This scale of devastation from a tailings dam burst at an old diamond mine in South Africa can be seen in this image from space.
It shows the five-mile plume of grey sludge that killed at least two people and hundreds of animals, wrecked 350 homes and damaged infrastructure and farmland at Jagersfontein, in the Free State province.
The picture was taken by NASA's Landsat 9 satellite on 4 October, almost a month after the 11 September disaster.
"The breach in the dam is visible on its southern side, through which most of the tailings poured out," according to NASA's Earth Observatory website.
"Analysis of satellite images by geologist Dave Petley indicated that the plume reached up to 1.5 kilometers (1 mile) wide and extended about 8.5 kilometers (5.3 miles) toward the southeast."
It says the sludge then turned north and entered several streams and rivers, including the Prosesspruit, and continued to at least Kalkfontein Dam (north of this image), before reaching water systems used for drinking water and agriculture.
The Jagersfontein mine was closed by De Beers in the 1970s and was bought in April by Dubai-based Stargems.
The tailings dam was closed in 2020, according to a Reuters report, due to high water levels, but was allowed to re-open last year.
Pic courtesy NASA. Note scale in bottom left corner.