1970 Mufulira Mine Disaster: Difference between revisions
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The '''1970 Mufulira Mine Disaster''' occurred on | The '''1970 Mufulira Mine Disaster''' occurred on 25 September 1970, when an underground collapse beneath the No. 3 tailings dam at [[Mopani Copper Mines]] (then Roan Selection Trust) in [[Mufulira]] caused approximately 1 million tonnes of water and tailings to rush into night-shift mine workings, killing 89 miners. It remains the worst mining disaster in [[Zambia]]’s history.<ref>[http://www.tailings.info/casestudies/mufulira.htm "Mufulira Mine Disaster of 1970, Zambia"], Tailings.info.</ref><ref>[https://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?pid=S0018-229X2019000200005 "After the deluge: Appraising the 1970 Mufulira mine disaster in Zambia"], Historia, Nov 2019.</ref> | ||
==Background== | ==Background== | ||
Mufulira Mine began operations in 1933. By 1970, the No. 3 tailings dam had accumulated around 18 million tonnes of slimes. In the two years preceding the disaster, sinkholes and minor mud ingress incidents had occurred, which were inadequately investigated by mine management.<ref>[http://www.tailings.info/casestudies/mufulira.htm Tailings.info]</ref><ref>[https://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?pid=S0018-229X2019000200005 Historia]</ref> | [[Mufulira Mine]] began operations in 1933. By 1970, the No. 3 tailings dam had accumulated around 18 million tonnes of slimes. In the two years preceding the disaster, sinkholes and minor mud ingress incidents had occurred, which were inadequately investigated by mine management.<ref>[http://www.tailings.info/casestudies/mufulira.htm Tailings.info]</ref><ref>[https://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?pid=S0018-229X2019000200005 Historia]</ref> | ||
==The disaster== | ==The disaster== | ||
| Line 41: | Line 41: | ||
* [[Mufulira]] | * [[Mufulira]] | ||
* [[Mopani Copper Mines]] | * [[Mopani Copper Mines]] | ||
* [[Tailings dam | * [[Sino Mine acid spill, 2025]] | ||
* [[ | * [[:Category:Tailings dam failures]] | ||
* [[Mining in Zambia]] | |||
==References== | ==References== | ||
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[[Category:1970 in Zambia]] | [[Category:1970 in Zambia]] | ||
[[Category:History of Copperbelt Province]] | [[Category:History of Copperbelt Province]] | ||
[[Category:History of | [[Category:Copperbelt Province]] | ||
[[Category:History of Zambia]] | |||
[[Category:Tailings dam failures]] | [[Category:Tailings dam failures]] | ||
