The owners of a diamond mining company in South Africa have announced tragic news: five miners trapped underground after a breakthrough are presumed dead. In flooded tunnels no survivors. Against this background, the company decided to close the mine and begin bankruptcy proceedings.
The incident occurred on the night of February 17 at the Ekapa field in Kimberley. In a matter of minutes, the lower horizon of the mine at a depth of about 800 meters was completely flooded. Access to the place where the people were was instantly cut off.
Rescue services launched a large-scale operation. Experts drilled wells and examined available areas, but it quickly became clear that there was no chance. The tunnels are clogged with a mixture of water, mud and stones, there is no communication, and too much time has passed since the breakthrough. On Wednesday, the company officially declared the five miners dead, although search efforts are still ongoing.
At the same time, the board of directors of Ekapa Resources and Ekapa Minerals announced the immediate closure of the mine and filed an application to the court to wind up the business. Reason: protracted crisis in the global diamond market, which has been aggravated by the recent tragedy. The company said it was no longer able to meet its financial obligations.
For Kimberley, a city with a rich history of diamond mining, it’s a double whammy. First, the loss of miners, then the closure of one of the key enterprises. The diamond market is going through hard times due to competition from synthetic stones and declining demand. The tragedy only accelerated the inevitable.
The investigation into the cause of the accident continues. It remains to be found out why the monitoring system did not warn of the impending disaster and whether it was possible to evacuate people.
Source: Associated Press
Image generated by a neural network
