Close to 100 residents flooded after tailing pond collapses at East Montgomery Mines in Reg. 10

The collapse of the tailing ponds at the East Montgomery mines in Region 10 has left close to 100 residents underwater, further compounding the ongoing flooding woes they are contending with.

“Close to 100 persons are affected and several homes are experiencing flooding at Three Friends Mines and Maria Henrietta,” Regional Chairman, Deron Adams told the News Room in a telephone interview on Friday.  The pond reportedly collapsed around 21:30hrs on Thursday.

The Regional Chairman explained to the News Room that the situation is dire with at least one resident at risk of losing her home.

“That one house, if action is not taken, based on the location where it is being directly impacted…possibly you could see it being washed away,” Adams said.

According to Adams, the regional authority has requested the assistance of a helicopter from the government to properly assess the damage and provide aid to affected residents. Thus far, residents have an urgent need for water and disinfectant supplies.

Tailing ponds are where waste material from the mines is pumped into a pond to allow the sedimentation (meaning separation) of solids from the water. The pond is generally impounded with a dam, and known as tailings impoundments or tailings dams.

Mr Adams said the damaged tailing pond is controlled by Bosai Mineral Group Guyana and that an investigation is underway to determine what caused the breach.