The incident at Jagersfontein diamond mine, previously owned by De Beers, also injured several people with 23 being treated for hypothermia and four for fractures
The Jagersfontein diamond mine was once owned by De Beers. Image Representative. (Credit: Dariusz Sankowski from Pixabay)
At least three people lost their lives in resulting floods after a dam collapsed in an abandoned mine in South Africa.
According to a Bloomberg report, the incident at Jagersfontein diamond mine in the Free State province of South Africa also damaged property and injured several people.
The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy spokesperson Nathi Shabangu told the publication in a text message that the flooding damaged more than 20 houses and swept away an additional nine properties.
Four people are still missing, while 27 people are undergoing treatment including 23 for hypothermia and four for fractures, spokesman for South African President Cyril Ramaphosa confirmed in a statement.
Search and rescue operations are continuing, while the cause of the dam collapse is yet to be ascertained.
The Jagersfontein diamond mine was once owned by De Beers.
The company terminated its operations at the mine in 1971 and divested it along with associated liabilities in 2010.
In an emailed statement to Bloomberg, De Beers said: “We share the concerns of the nation for the residents of the area.
“We stand ready to provide technical assistance and support to the government should it be requested by the Minerals Council South Africa.”
Minerals Council South Africa could not confirm the present ownership structure of the assets or the standard of management of the dumps.
The collapse of the mine dam and resulting floods also resulted in power cut at Jagersfontein and surrounding townships.
State-owned power utility Eskom said that it lost access to a key electrical substation in the affected region.
Earlier this year, around 60 people lost their lives in an explosion at an informal gold mine in Burkina Faso.