Mine dam collapse - Jagersfontein

mojoman

Executive Member
Joined
May 15, 2007
Messages
8,743
*BREAKING STORY**
Residents of the mining town of Jagersfontein are being evacuated.
The mine dam has burst, causing flooding in parts of the town.
Reports coming in indicate that several houses in the nearby Charlesville residential area have already collapsed.
The main road leading into the town is also flooded.

 

RedViking

Nord of the South
Joined
Feb 23, 2012
Messages
58,139
Saw a couple of videos on YouTube where dams collapse. Eina...

(can't view OP link)
 

RedViking

Nord of the South
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Feb 23, 2012
Messages
58,139
Phama adds that he is not sure what might have led to the burst of the mine dam in that area.

How often is it maintained and up to standard? Eish...
 

ForceFate

Honorary Master
Joined
May 18, 2009
Messages
41,138
It's going to get very expensive soon. Relevant government departments can be brutal when they have the upper hand.
 

Herr der Verboten

Honorary Master
Joined
Feb 14, 2012
Messages
22,535
*BREAKING STORY**
Residents of the mining town of Jagersfontein are being evacuated.
The mine dam has burst, causing flooding in parts of the town.
Reports coming in indicate that several houses in the nearby Charlesville residential area have already collapsed.
The main road leading into the town is also flooded.

Let me get my empathy box.
 

dlk001

Executive Member
Joined
Jul 29, 2005
Messages
7,369
Probability is the catchment water Dam 10 failed. That dam has a catchment area of about 25km2. The fine tailings dams are being mined to recover diamonds as well as backfilling of the open pit void as part of the mine closure rehabilitation project.

There is an Engineer on Record for all the surface storage facilities but like with many projects, the failure is probably design implementation. The mine was sold by De Beers to a new consortium back in 2011. It has a mining legacy of over 120 years.
 

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Geoff.D

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Joined
Aug 4, 2005
Messages
26,878
Probability is the catchment water Dam 10 failed. That dam has a catchment area of about 25km2. The fine tailings dams are being mined to recover diamonds as well as backfilling of the open pit void as part of the mine closure rehabilitation project.

There Engineer on Record for all the surface storage facilities but like with many projects, the failure is probably design implementation. The mine was sold by De Beers to a new consortium back in 2011. It has a mining legacy of over 120 years.
BBBEEEEE at its worst! de Beers sold and the inevitable happened. The new owners just looted.
 

dlk001

Executive Member
Joined
Jul 29, 2005
Messages
7,369
BBBEEEEE at its worst! de Beers sold and the inevitable happened. The new owners just looted.

De Beers probably derisked the liability through the BEE route. Still, with National Environmental Management Act amendments, it will be difficult for any company (including De Beers) to walk away from residual risks even when they transfer that risk to a secondary company. This is the right approach toward post-mine closure residual and latent risks that manifest themselves long after mine closure. South African has been robbed big time in the last 100yrs of mining with companies allowed to run away from closure liabilities.
 
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