Perenti suspends work at Burkina Faso mine after site death, marking its fifth fatality in two years
Mining services contractor Perenti has called a halt to work at the Mana gold mine in Burkina Faso after one of its workers was killed on site.
Perenti revealed on Wednesday morning the incident on Tuesday resulted in the fatality of an employee of its African Underground Mining Services subsidiary.
AUMS did not disclose any details but said it was focused on providing support to the family of the worker and colleagues while it works with owner Endeavour Mining and local authorities to investigate the death.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.“Perenti expresses its heartfelt sympathies to the family, friends and workmates of our colleague involved in the incident,” the company said.
“This loss will be profoundly felt across the local communities in Burkina Faso and our workforce more broadly.”
Mana was snapped up by Endeavour in mid-2020, as part of its acquisition of Canada-based SEMAFO, and integrated into Endeavour’s West African operations. The Burkina Faso government holds a 10 per cent stake.
It is targeting production of between 150,000 ounces and 170,000oz this year.
The death at Mana follows the loss of two Perenti miners in Queensland this time last year.
Two miners — Dylan Langridge and Trevor Davis — went missing more than 100m underground at the Dugald River zinc mine. They were later found in their light vehicle and confirmed dead after an extensive search operation.
In May 2022 two Perenti workers were killed after an “incident” at the Zone 5 copper mine within the Khoemacau project.
Barminco, another wholly-owned subsidiary of Perenti, was the lead underground mining contractor for the mine in the southern African nation of Botswana.
Five Perenti workers have now died in accidents since the start of 2022, compared to none at listed mining services rivals Macmahon and NRW Holdings during that period.
Two fatalities also occurred at a Perenti site in Ghana — located in West Africa near Burkina Faso — across 2020 and 2021.
In November 2019 a terrorist attack in Burkina Faso killed 19 Perenti employees when a convoy carrying mine site workers was ambushed by gunmen.
