The company said that the employee, who is from the Lerala Village, was engaged as part of the care and maintenance team. “All activities at the Lerala have ceased pending a full and comprehensive review of operating and health and safety procedures. “The KDL Board of Directors and executive management are assisting the family of the deceased employee and will be offering all appropriate support to the family and to fellow employees,” said the company in a statement on the accident that happened on Wednesday.
Station commander at Maunatlana Police Station, Superintendent Ogaufi George confirmed they were investigating the fatal accident at Lerala Mine. “Investigations are still under way but preliminary findings indicate that a mechanic and his assistant were pumping a wheel to a heavy duty truck when the rim came out and struck them. “It looks like the rim wasn’t properly locked to the tyre. The mechanic was seriously injured and is currently admitted at Nyangagbwe hospital while his assistant unfortunately lost his life,” he said. KDL has been aiming to restart mining at the Lerala operation during the fourth quarter of this year, in the hopes of producing at a rate of 1.4-million tonnes of ore a year, or an average of 375,000 carat per year over a seven-year mine life.
