- Tsaone Segaetsho
Debswana spokesperson, Matshidiso Kamona, has stated that investigations are ongoing into an accident in which an employee of one of Jwaneng mine’s contractors died earlier this week.
On Monday afternoon, this publication received information about an accident involving a crane and a drill rig, primarily used in open pit mining to blast holes. This incident resulted in the fatality of a heavy-duty operator.
According to Jwaneng Station Commander, Thuso Basutli, a crane collided with the drill rig on the operator’s side, causing the operator to sustain serious head injuries. The worker was rushed to Jwaneng Mine Hospital around lunchtime on Monday and was certified dead shortly after, having succumbed to his injuries.
“According to witness reports, it is suspected that the gentleman was driving down inside the mine. The crane lost control while accelerating at high speed, rolled down, and collided with the other machine (drill rig),” said Basutli.
The deceased has not yet been identified as investigations are ongoing. He is described as a 48-year-old from Mahalapye village in central Botswana.
“It is with regret and deep sadness that we inform you of a tragic incident involving a crane and drill rig at our Jwaneng Mine operations, where an employee of one of our business partners was fatally injured on the morning of Monday 17 June 2024,” confirmed Debswana in an official statement.
The last reported death in Botswana’s mining sector was in 2016 when four mine workers were killed and six others critically injured in an accident at the state-owned BCL copper mine. This occurred five months before the mine was put into liquidation, a state it remains in currently.
