Liwonde Fertilizer Company pillar collapses, injures three

The company which President Chakwera inaugurated in November last year

* The company maintains there were no serious injuries but inside sources said one out of the three has sustained serious injuries

* Machinga District Hospital said they had not received any report at with regard to the accident

By Racheal Mkotama, MANA

Three workers at Liwonde Fertilizer Company in Machinga have sustained injuries of various degrees after a pillar which they were erecting collapsed and crashed them.

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The company’s plant manager, Mark Chapman confirmed the incident and said more details will be divulged by their head office today,  Wednesday.

Although Chapman said there were no serious injuries but inside sources said one out of the three has sustained serious injuries and has been rushed to the hospital for medical treatment.

In an interview, assistant health promotion officer for Machinga District Hospital, Wongani Nyirenda said they had not received any report at their hospital with regard to the accident at the time of going to print.

“We have not received any case to that effect at the moment,” Nyirenda said.

The world-class fertilizer terminal in Liwonde, which Malawi President Lazarus Chakwera inaugurated in November last year, is owned by Saudi Arabian Mining Company Ma’aden through its African subsidiary Meridian Group.

A report by Saudi Gazette in November last year, described the opening of the plant as a new milestone for Ma’aden and was commended by Chakwera for its investment in the development of the economy of Malawi

The Liwonde Terminal is strategically located on the rail line connecting Malawi to the port of Nacala in Mozambique, allowing for high access to Ma’aden’s fertilizer products across central and southern Africa.

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Saudi Gazette reported that state-of-the-art terminal is equipped with a 15,000m2 under-roof facility, a 40,000 metric ton (MT) storage capacity, a 2,400 MT per day blending capacity, an annual bagging capacity of 10 million, and a total production capacity of 360,000 MT per year.

It also said the Terminal is powered by cutting edge technology, including a cloud-based logistics supply chain management system and an advanced on-site laboratory for rapid and accurate fertilizer testing. The Terminal also uses sustainable and renewable energy solutions to reduce CO2 emissions.

“The Liwonde Fertilizer Terminal is expected to contribute to the growth of Ma’aden’s exports to Africa as it will provide access to a steady supply of high-quality fertilizer to over 5 million smallholder farmers in the Republics of Malawi and Zambia, and subsequently, improve food security on the African continent.

“The Terminal will cement Ma’aden’s strategic position in one of the world’s fastest growing agricultural regions and complement its strategic initiatives in Africa, which include Ma’aden’s acquisition of Meridian Group in 2019,” said the report.—Additional reporting by Duncan Mlanjira, Maravi Express

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