THREE people are confirmed dead and another four are missing after a tailings dam in Jagersfontein, located in South Africa’s Free State province, burst on Sunday morning, according to reports.

Six others have been transferred to Albert Nzula in Trompsburg.

SABC News cited spokesperson to Free State Premier Palesa Chubis as saying that houses and cars were swept away in the incident. Several houses in the nearby Charlesville residential area had collapsed, it said.

“The provincial government has activated the disaster management team and the Joint Operation Centre to determine the extent of the disaster and also carry out evacuation processes where necessary,” the spokesperson said.

“More details on what may have caused the incident will be shared at the later stage once government has received a detailed report on the incident.”

Unconfirmed reports say the tailings dam was located on a diamond mine owned by JDP Mining.

Residents are being evacuated from their homes while others have already moved to higher lying areas for safety.

Free State Premier Sisi Ntombela and Cooperative Governance MEC Mxolisi Dukwana are on their way to Jagersfontein to assess the situation, said SABC News.

 
Tailings safety was global news in 2015 when a dam owned by the Samarco Mineracao SA joint venture between Vale and BHP in Brazil burst killing 19 people.

That was followed by an even greater trajedy when in January 2019 the collapse of the Brumadinho dam, containing waste from an iron ore mine, killed 270 people. Families of the victims were awarded $7bn after mine and dam owner Vale, a Brazilian firm, was found to be responsible.