Truck delivering TBM overturns

The Lesotho Highlands Development Authority (LHDA) has announced that one of the trucks carrying a component of the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM), bound for the tunnel site at Katse has overturned at Liphofung.

The incident resulted in damage to the truck, the lowbed, as well as the load.

LHDA public relations manager, Mpho Brown, said the truck overturned between ‘Mamohau and Mphorosane on Saturday.

Brown noted that the Authority was still assessing the damage to the TBM.

Once complete, the LHDA will be informed as to what extent the timelines of the TBM’s assembly and deployment will be affected.

The TBM component will undergo damage assessment to determine the extent of damage before determination is made on whether this will impact the TBM programme and timelines, he said.

“The LHDA is saddened by the incident, and is committed to ensuring the highest health and safety standards on all LHWP construction activities on the roads at site.

“Paramedics attended to the driver at the accident site and he was transferred to the out-patient department of the ‘Mamohau Hospital. The driver’s next of kin were notified of the incident and he has subsequently been discharged,” Brown pointed out.

The TBM designed to excavate the 38-kilometre Polihali Transfer Tunnel from the Leribe side arrived in the country on September 4.