Road crash kills 20 mine staff in South Africa

No fewer than 20 employees of mining giant De Beers have been killed in a road crash in South Africa, local officials said Sunday.

According to a transport official in Limpopo province, in the country’s north, the bus involved was transporting personnel from the Venetia mine, one of the country’s largest diamond mines.

“The bus came into collision with a truck,” said Vongani Chauke.

Chauke told newsmen the accident happened at around 1600 GMT, some 25 kilometres (15 miles) from the mine, in the village of Musian on the border with Zimbabwe.

The reason for the crash has yet to be determined.

South Africa has one of the most developed road networks on the continent, but it also has one of the worst records for road safety.

The De Beers Diamond Consortium has operated the Venetia mine near the borders of Botswana and Zimbabwe for more than 30 years.

It employs about 4,300 people, including many locals, and accounts for more than 40% of the country’s yearly diamond production.

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