Monrovia — The Government of Liberia has confirmed the death of a Liberian at the Bea Mountain operations in Grand Cape Mount County.
The government also confirmed that two employees of the Bea Mountain got severely injured.
The company is operating in Kinjor, Grand Cape Mount County, Western Liberia.
The Ministry states that the death and injuries of the Liberians at the Bea Mountain Company resulted from an accident.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Mines and Energy issued on November 8, 2023, Turkish nationals Baki Capa, Muzafter Cengiz, and Thomas Haines, a Liberian, were victims of an industrial accident that occurred at crosscut 810, triggered by activities from crosscut 830, an underground mining site of Bea Mountain Mining Company.
Preliminary findings from the Ministry of Mines and Energy, conducted by its Concession Appraisal Director, Fahnseth Mulbah, reveal that the accident took the life of the Liberian, Thomas Haines.
Haines passed away while en route to Sinje in Grand Cape Mount County for advanced medical treatment.
The two Turkish employees, according to the findings by the Mines and Energy Ministry, are in critical condition and are undergoing medical treatment.
The government expresses regret over the incident and has sent words of encouragement to the families of the victims, particularly to the family of Thomas Haines, who lost his life.
The Ministry further informed the public that the industrial accident was not a result of the mining method employed by Bea Mountain, which is classified as a Class 'A' mining company. Instead, it was due to poor decision-making by the company's operator of its tumbo or drilling/rig machine, who wrongfully reversed in a section of the mine without a 'spotter,' in an area void of natural light. The findings quote this as a mistake.
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As a result, this action caused the displacement of 'boulders' or rocks in that section of the mine where the three underground mine engineers were working, leading to them being struck by falling rocks.
The report reveals that neither blasting nor mud/soil sliding caused this accident. The Ministry of Mines and Energy has assured the public that it remains committed to its fiduciary responsibility and duty of ensuring mine safety at all times. It, therefore, urges all actors in the sector to abide by the Mineral and Mining laws of the country to ensure economic prosperity for the Liberian people through job creation that benefits communities adjacent to mining activities."
