Khoemacau accident claims two lives
Staff Writer | Tuesday May 24, 2022 06:07
“Investigations into the cause of the accident are ongoing. It appears that the two, both blasting crew members, had proceeded underground to perform tasks at the Tshukudu section 140m below surface.
Their bodies were discovered by their colleagues. Two colleagues of the deceased employees were also affected and are recovering in hospital. The family of one of the deceased is a local while the second is an Indonesian citizen,” reads a statement from the mine.
The statement further states that this is the first incidence of a fatal accident at Khoemacau since the mine’s development began. Khoemacau further states that they would work with Barminco management to assist the families of the deceased, over and above the statutory financial compensation to which they are entitled.
Safety officials of the Department of Mines are reported to have travelled to the mine and are expected to visit the site this weekend as part of their investigation.
Khoemacau CEO Johan Ferreira says: “The deaths of our two colleagues are a terrible shock to me personally, their employer, and all the other employees at Khoemacau. We convey our deepest condolences to their families. Naturally we will use the outcome of the investigation to ensure that such an incident does not reoccur."