By Rachael Shisei – EM TV News, Madang
The Ramu Nickel pipeline along the Igiruwe area of the Usino Bundi LLG in Madang broke on Wednesday this week, the slurry spilling onto the vegetation in the area.
“The mine’s officers came on Wednesday, checked and said it wasn’t serious and minutes after they left, the outburst happened. They only used a machine to control the spill’s pressure up till now,” Moses Kuruwara the Ward Councillor said.
Kuruwara said, as a result of his people’s concerns he asked the mine’s officers attending to the slurry spill, to let others witness what had happened.
“I told the mine’s workers to let people passing by witness what had happened because this is a disaster and it is our right to tell the country about it,” Kuruwara continued.
According to a media statement by the mine’s Public Relations officer, Mathew Yakai, the main valves at the Kumbrukari mine site were turned off as of Wednesday, and are using water through the pipeline to send the remaining of the slurry to Basamuk on the coast.
Ramu Nickel says it will take three days to fix the problem.
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