Mines
Conducting structural movement surveys to identify existing and emerging weaknesses in assets.
Jagersfontein Tailings Dam Collapse
Date: 11 September 2022
Location: Free State, South Africa
Event
The collapse of the Jagersfontein diamond mine tailings dam released a flow of tailings sludge, which poured across the landscape, damaging more than 26 square kilometres of grazing land and reaching water systems used for drinking and agriculture. It resulted in three deaths, over 300 non-fatal injuries, damage to over 100 properties and infrastructure, and the displacement of over 1000 people.
Value.Space’s assessment
Value.Space conducted a satellite-based assessment of the Jagersfontein tailings storage facility and identified several clusters of bidirectional movement on the structure. Notably, movement clusters were identified on the exact sections of the tailings storage facility dam that failed. Data timelines of the deformation clusters show bidirectional movement starting almost three years before the failure, in November 2019, with the warning threshold reached two years before, in July 2020.
