Africa-Press – Liberia. ArcelorMittal Liberia reports deliberate attempts by some unknown individuals to sabotage its railway operations by breaking two pairs of joint bars on the rail track. The damage to the rail track occurred at Km 231.350 in Nimba County during the early morning hours of May 20, 2022.
The AML in a press release said, while arriving on the scene, an emergency response crew discovered that the two regular joint bars along with their bolts and nuts holding the closure rails on both sides were removed and taken away with the possible intent to cause train derailment.
No fatalities or injuries were reported, and AML’s rail maintenance team spent several hours repairing the damage to the rail track. This is not the first of such attacks on ArcelorMittal Liberia railway operations. The incident has been reported to the Liberian National Police (LNP). At the same time, ArcelorMittal has called on its local consultative forums in communities along the rail line to be more vigilant in spotting and reporting illegal activities as the rainy season intensifies.
In September 2021, one of the company’s locomotives traveling from Tokadeh in Nimba County to Buchanan was targeted by criminal activities that resulted in an incident on the rail track around Kilometer 215 near Sanniquellie.
The presumed target of these criminals were the tarpaulins covering the iron ore wagons to keep out moisture from the iron ore. During that attack, some of the moving wagons were deliberately disconnected from its braking systems causing the wagons to veer off the rail track resulting in damage to a portion of the rail line.
Meanwhile, AML has said it continues to make good progress with the study to produce and export 30 million tons per annum (mtpa) of concentrate from its Liberian operations. As part of this study, drilling and testwork commenced in 2021. To date 11,150 metres of the 22,700 metres planned have been completed.
AML is also ensuring that the mine, rail, port, material handling, and other facilities are being designed and constructed in a manner that enables the next expansion phase for 30 mtpa capacity.
Stefan Buys, CEO of ArcelorMittal Mining said: “ArcelorMittal would like to reiterate its commitment to maintaining and strengthening its strategic partnership with the people of Liberia by creating much-needed jobs, supporting community development, and contributing to the economic growth of Liberia.
We also look forward to the ratification of the Third Amendment of the MDA by the Liberian Legislature. ArcelorMittal plans to increase its mineral production in Liberia and expand the infrastructure that is vital to the country, the company, and other partners in Liberia’s continued development.”
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