Dear colleagues,
It is with great sadness that we inform you of a tragic accident that occurred on Wednesday 30 August in Nachtigal (Cameroon). Five employees were crossing the upstream reserve of the dam by boat, when the boat was swept into an area of high water flow and capsized. Drones were deployed around the accident area and downstream to conduct rescue operations.
Three employees have been immediately rescued, as well as another person who was swept away by the river while trying to help his colleagues. Their lives are not in danger and they have been taken care of at the site medical centre.
Unfortunately, two employees are still missing. We are in contact with their families, who have been on site since Wednesday and who are naturally very worried. Major search operations are still ongoing with the support of drones, firefighters, and the participation of local residents and volunteer fishermen who are familiar with the currents of the river.
A psychological unit has been activated and a psychologist is available for the teams at the site medical centre.
The precise causes of the accident have not been determined at this stage; an internal investigation has been launched in order to understand what might have happened. All the necessary steps will be taken to understand the precise context and share the lessons learned from this dramatic accident.
Geert Aelbrecht, Chief People Officer
Alexis Laroche, Corporate QHSE Director