Firestone Diamonds : Suspension of Operations to combat Coronavirus

Suspension of Operations to combat Coronavirus

Released : 25 Mar 2020 08:05

RNS Number : 5236H

Firestone Diamonds PLC

25 March 2020

25 March 2020

Firestone Diamonds plc

("Firestone", the "Group" or the "Company")

Suspension of Operations at Liqhobong Mine to combat Coronavirus

Firestone Diamonds plc (AIM: FDI), announces that a decision has been taken to suspend operations, save for essential care and maintenance services and security, at its Liqhobong Mine ("the Mine") in Lesotho for at least a 3 week period to safeguard its workforce and surrounding community from the coronavirus pandemic. The health, safety and wellbeing of the Mine's workforce and surrounding community is of paramount concern to the Company. All staff on the Mine may be especially vulnerable to an onset of the coronavirus due to the remote location of the Mine and distance from expert medical care, high altitude and close proximity to one another in buildings on Mine.

This decision is aligned to the 23 March 2020 directive issued by the South African Government requiring a 21 day national lockdown, effective midnight Thursday 26 March 2020 to midnight Thursday 16 April 2020, in order to contain the spread of the coronavirus. Lesotho i s landlocked by South Africa and the Mine is dependent on South Africa for a large portion of its essential mining supplies.

The Company will continue to closely assess developments in this regard.

For more information please visit: www.firestonediamonds.comor contact:

Firestone Diamonds plc	[phone]
Paul Bosma
Grant Ferriman
Macquarie Capital (Europe) L i m i t e d ( N o m a d a n d	[phone]
Broker)
Alex Reynolds
Tavistock (Public and Investor Relations)	[phone]
Jos Simson
Gareth Tredway
Annabel de Morgan

Background information on Firestone

Firestone is an international diamond mining company with operations in Lesotho. Firestone commenced commercial production in July 2017 at the Liqhobong Diamond Mine. Liqhobong is owned 75% by Firestone and 25% by the Government of Lesotho. Lesotho is one of Africa's significant new diamond producers, hosting Gem Diamonds' Letšeng Mine, Firestone's Liqhobong Mine, Namakwa Diamonds' Kao Mine and Lucapa's Mothae Mine.

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