Plane crashes in Malawi, killing 2 |
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Thu, 08 Mar 2007 17:36
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BLANTYRE, Malawi (AP) - A senior Australian mining executive in charge of the development of a new uranium mine in this southern African country died Thursday when his chartered plane crashed. The pilot also was killed.The Perth-based company, Paladin, identified the passenger as Garnet Halliday, 50, executive general manager for operations and development.The light aircraft was on its way to the site of a planned mine when it crashed in Dowa, 25 miles northwest of the capital, Lilongwe.George Kalungwe, who lives in the area and was one of the first to arrive at the scene, said the plane appeared to be attempting an emergency landing on a road. It hit a tree and crashed into a maize field about 500 yards from the road. There had been some fog in the area.Police spokesman Willy Mwaluka initially said that eight engineers plus the pilot were thought to be on board and feared dead. Later, Malawi's transport minister told parliament that there were three dead.Carlos Kaufulu, an official at Kamuzu Central Hospital in Lilongwe, said the morgue had received two bodies.'We were told there were three, but we have only received two so far,' he said, adding that the bodies were so mangled it was difficult to identify the body parts.Paladin last month signed a 10-year agreement with the Malawi government to establish the Kayerekera mine in the region of Karonga, some 250 miles north of Lilongwe and near the Tanzanian border. It is the second uranium mine developed by the company in Africa after Namibia.The $270 million project sparked concern in Malawi, one of the world's poorest countries, about the environmental impact of the mine. The company had tried to ease concern by promising to build local schools and infrastructure.The government, which holds a 15 percent stake, said the project would provide vital foreign investment and create some 800 sorely needed jobs in a country that largely relies on subsistence agriculture.Copyright 2007 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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Plane hired by Australian miner Paladin crashes in Malawi, no sign of survivors 