President Cyril Ramaphosa will today visit the Jagersfontein and Charlesville area in the Free State after a mine dam burst its banks on Sunday, causing a mudslide that has claimed several lives and destroyed homes.

“The president’s thoughts and prayers are with the families of three people who lost their lives in the incident which allegedly involved a pipe burst from a mine at Jagersfontein around dawn on Sunday,” a media statement by the Presidency read.

According to the statement, four people have been reported missing. A total of 23 patients have been treated for hypothermia and four people have been treated for broken legs.

“The president wishes injured survivors a speedy recovery and a positive outcome in the search for missing residents of the Charlesville neighbourhood. The president appreciates the rescue and recovery efforts in which emergency services and police from towns surrounding the mine and from Mangaung are engaged.”

#ICYMI Minister @DlaminiZuma activates National Disaster Management Centre #NDMC to support Jagersfontein communities affected by the mining dam that burst its banks https://t.co/iLkjsL1ry6
Video: TSF Risk Solutions https://t.co/nnNDbsivZH pic.twitter.com/g2JWBX0nCY

— NationalCoGTA 🇿🇦 (@NationalCoGTA) September 12, 2022

Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta), Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, yesterday activated the National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC) to ensure that assistance needed is provided where required.

“The tailings of the abandoned local mine burst open leading to damages to infrastructure, personal property and homes. The untold damages in and around the community of Charlesville in Jagersfontein are extensive and has had negatively impacted the community.

“Some people are displaced, others lost property, whilst others are reported injured and missing,” a media statement by Cogta read.

Cogta says multi-disciplinary teams consisting of the police, emergency medical services, health, disaster management, social development, search and rescue personnel and engineers from the mine responded immediately and were on the scene where search, rescue, immediate relief and stabilization operations were underway.