Three dead, dozens injured in Jagersfontein mine dam disaster
Free State authorities have confirmed that at least three people have been killed following a mine dam collapse in Jagersfontein.
The burst happened in the Kopanong Local Municipality on Sunday.
Mineral Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe said a preliminary report suggests that 28 people have been injured.
"There are four people who are in hospital with and very critical, and there are three to five suspected fatalities, that need to be verified. Nine houses have been swept away and 20 houses have been completely damaged."
"The ownership of those dams was reinforced by a court judgment which declared the department of having no jurisdiction over those dams, the issue is that the owner at the time was De Beers, so the company had the right to sell it to anybody without interference. They sold it to a consortium in 2010, the department cannot grant licences to other people."
Eskom says the disaster has disrupted the power supply in the area.
President Cyril Ramaphosda is expected to visit the disaster-stricken mining town today.
The Mineral Resources department has dispatched experts to investigate the cause of the dam burst.
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