Exploration company Kenmare says operations at its Moma mine in Mozambique have been suspended after in incident in the early hours of this morning.
A company statement said a settling pond beside the mine breached its southern wall. This caused a non-toxic discharge of water, sand and clay that flowed through part of the nearby village of Topuito. A search is underway for a four-year-old girl who has been missing since the incident.
The company said it was working with local community and government officials to locate the missing child, make the area safe, help to evacuate of the affected population and assess any possible injuries or damage caused. It is believed that around 115 households have been affected by the flow of water, sand and clay.
Mining at Moma is carried out using two dredges and a floating concentrator plant. Once the minerals are extracted, sand and clay is deposited behind the plant through a series of settling ponds. A containment wall on one of these settling ponds failed during the early hours of the morning.
