By: Problyn J. Alpha
Reliable sources had intimated this press that a big rock which fell on miners at the Koidu Holdings Limited mine site in Koidu Town Kono District had resulted to the death of a Sierra Leonean worker, Mr. Tamba Aruna and left one white expertriate with major injuries, whilst the other expatriates sustained just minor injury as a result of a rock which fell on them while on duty.
According to report, the two white expatriates are currently responding to treatment at the Aspen Medical Centre in Freetown. Speaking to a cross section of journalists on the ugly incident which took place during the evening hours of September 12th, 2022, the Corporate Affairs Manager for Koidu Limited, Mr. Ibrahim Turay explained that there was a rock fall incident which occurred at Level 5 K 1 underground on the 12th September, 2022 between 20:20-20:30 hours which resulted to one fatality, 1 severe and a minor injury.
Adding that Mr. Aruna died at the site clinic, Mr. Piet (expatriate) was severely injured and Mr. Francis, another expatriate also sustained minor injury on his right foot. Mr. Turay confirmed that both injured patients were transferred to the Aspen Medical Centre in Freetown and is now in stable condition. Mr. Turay maintained that the management of Koidu Limited hadn’t only informed the Tankoro Police Station on the incident, but officials from the Environment Protection Agency (EPA), National Minerals Agency (NMA) and other lined institutions had visited the company’s mining site were the incident occurred.
The Corporate Affairs Manager further entreated this medium that since Koidu Limited started their safest underground mining activities, this unfortunate occurrence marked the first fatal or deadly accident ever recorded since the inception of the mining entity under discussion.
He discussed that the safety of all staff is always their concern or top most priority and advanced that as a mining company, they are always willing and ready to guide themselves in ensuring that safety mines methods are continued to be put in practice.