A huge runaway train laden with iron ore had to be derailed remotely after speeding through the Australian outback for almost an hour.

The 268-wagon train started on its solo journey when the driver got down from his cab to carry out an inspection, and was soon hurtling along at up to 110 kilometres (68 miles) per hour.

Mining giant BHP, which owns the four-locomotive train, decided to derail before it reached the town of Port Hedland near its Western Australia Pilbara site, and flicked the points.

The train crashed off the rails, damaging around 1,500 metres (1,600 yards) of tracks, but hurting no one.

Aerial images published by The West Australian showed a trail of twisted wreckage, with some wagons covered by their loads of iron ore.

BHP said recovering the train and fixing the track -- a key access route for the enormous mining facility -- will take around a week.

However, it said, operations would be maintained and the use of reserves would mean there would be no interruption to supply.

Australia is one of the world's major sources of iron ore.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau said it was investigating Monday's incident.

There was no indication of what had caused the train to move without its driver.

BHP's shares were trading 1.21 per cent lower at Aus $33.14 in Sydney Wednesday amid reports in Britain that the Anglo-Australian firm was facing a £5 billion (US $6.5 billion) lawsuit over the deadly Samarco dam failure in Brazil in 2015.

BHP is also facing an Australian class action involving investors pursuing the miner for losses relating to the collapse.

Nineteen people were killed and a wave of toxic waste was unleashed when an dam burst at the mine in one of Brazil's worst environmental disasters.

A huge runaway train laden with iron ore had to be derailed remotely after speeding through the Australian outback for almost an hour. The 268-wagon train started on its solo journey when the driver got down from his cab to carry out an inspection, and was soon hurtling along at up to 110 kilometres (68 miles) per hour.

A huge runaway train laden with iron ore had to be derailed remotely after speeding through the Australian outback for almost an hour. The 268-wagon train started on its solo journey when the driver got down from his cab to carry out an inspection, and was soon hurtling along at up to 110 kilometres (68 miles) per hour. Mining giant BHP, which owns the four-locomotive train, decided to derail before it reached the town of Port Hedland near its Western Australia Pilbara site, and flicked the points. The train crashed off the rails, damaging around 1,500 metres (1,600 yards) of tracks, but hurting no one. Aerial images published by The West Australian showed a trail of twisted wreckage, with some wagons covered by their loads of iron ore. BHP said recovering the train and fixing the track -- a key access route for the enormous mining facility -- will take around a week. However, it said, operations would be maintained and the use of reserves would mean there would be no interruption to supply. Australia is one of the world's major sources of iron ore. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau said it was investigating Monday's incident. There was no indication of what had caused the train to move without its driver. BHP's shares were trading 1.21 per cent lower at Aus $33.14 in Sydney Wednesday amid reports in Britain that the Anglo-Australian firm was facing a £5 billion (US $6.5 billion) lawsuit over the deadly Samarco dam failure in Brazil in 2015. BHP is also facing an Australian class action involving investors pursuing the miner for losses relating to the collapse. Nineteen people were killed and a wave of toxic waste was unleashed when an dam burst at the mine in one of Brazil's worst environmental disasters.

Runaway mining train travels 90 kilometres without driver

In an endeavour to curb the menace of&nbsp;illegal sand mining&nbsp;in the state, the&nbsp;Andhra Pradesh&nbsp;Government will be introducing GPS tracking system by July end this year.

State minister&nbsp;R Sujayakrishna Ranga Rao&nbsp;while addressing a press conference, said, "Andhra Pradesh&nbsp;government is about to bring GPS tracking system by the end of July 2018 to prevent illegal transport of sand in the state. The government is taking stern actions to avoid interstate illegal transport of sand. After the Government of&nbsp;Andhra Pradesh&nbsp;has implemented free sand policy, reports of the sand mafia are on rife."

The minister said that there are 150 notified sand reaches in the state and that 54 check posts have been established to prevent illegal transport of sand.

Ranga Rao further said that geo referral policy is being brought for all major minerals in the state and the permissions for mining activities are being given through auction in an e-permit model.

In an endeavour to curb the menace of illegal sand mining in the state, the Andhra Pradesh Government will be introducing GPS tracking system by July end this year

In an endeavour to curb the menace of illegal sand mining in the state, the Andhra Pradesh Government will be introducing GPS tracking system by July end this year. State minister R Sujayakrishna Ranga Rao while addressing a press conference, said, "Andhra Pradesh government is about to bring GPS tracking system by the end of July 2018 to prevent illegal transport of sand in the state. The government is taking stern actions to avoid interstate illegal transport of sand. After the Government of Andhra Pradesh has implemented free sand policy, reports of the sand mafia are on rife." The minister said that there are 150 notified sand reaches in the state and that 54 check posts have been established to prevent illegal transport of sand. Ranga Rao further said that geo referral policy is being brought for all major minerals in the state and the permissions for mining activities are being given through auction in an e-permit model.

Illegal sand mining: Andhra Pradesh to use GPS to curb menace

A perennial waterfall in Goa, revered by locals and visitors for its religious significance and natural beauty, has dried up, with the villagers blaming it on the reckless mining activity.

The locals claim that for the first time in decades they have seen the waterfall, located in Harvalem village near the Pandava caves in North Goa district, about 50 km from here, going dry even as the summer is yet to set in.

A temple dedicated to Lord Shiva stands nearby, and the place is considered religiously significant as people from far and wide bring the ashes of their deceased near and dear ones for immersing in the water.

"The mines which are located upstream this waterfall have gone so deep that they have actually disturbed the water table," claims Sangesh Kundaikar, vice president of the Rudreshwar temple at Harvalem.

"The waterfall has a history spanning nearly 500 years. The people claim the waterfall has never gone dry to such an extent," Kundaikar said.

The mine owners are responsible for this situation, he alleged.

"The rivulets which feed the waterfall have thinned down. For the first time we have seen that the waterfall has dried completely in March itself," he said.

A dozen mining leases located upstream the waterfall in Sonshi village, located about 5 km from Harvalem, used to divert the water for mining purposes and later pump it back into the rivulet.

But, the stoppage of mining activity last month, following a Supreme Court order, has forced the mine owners to abandon their leases.

The state government earlier issued a circular asking the mine owners to continue pumping water from the pits owing to safety issues (so that it does not cause flooding in nearby villages). But, some mine owners have refused to dewater the pits.

"A majority of the mines have stopped dewatering due to which there is no water flow in the rivulet, leaving it dry," said Haresh Melwani, a mine owner and member of the Goa Mining Association.

"Some of the mines upstream this waterfall have gone below the water table due to which there is an imbalance," he claimed.

State Mines and Geology department director Prasanna Acharya was not available for comments on the issue.

However, a senior officer from the department said the North Goa district collector has called a meeting of all mine owners in the next few days to discuss the matter.&nbsp

The locals claim that for the first time in decades they have seen the waterfall going dry

A perennial waterfall in Goa, revered by locals and visitors for its religious significance and natural beauty, has dried up, with the villagers blaming it on the reckless mining activity. The locals claim that for the first time in decades they have seen the waterfall, located in Harvalem village near the Pandava caves in North Goa district, about 50 km from here, going dry even as the summer is yet to set in. A temple dedicated to Lord Shiva stands nearby, and the place is considered religiously significant as people from far and wide bring the ashes of their deceased near and dear ones for immersing in the water. "The mines which are located upstream this waterfall have gone so deep that they have actually disturbed the water table," claims Sangesh Kundaikar, vice president of the Rudreshwar temple at Harvalem. "The waterfall has a history spanning nearly 500 years. The people claim the waterfall has never gone dry to such an extent," Kundaikar said. The mine owners are responsible for this situation, he alleged. "The rivulets which feed the waterfall have thinned down. For the first time we have seen that the waterfall has dried completely in March itself," he said. A dozen mining leases located upstream the waterfall in Sonshi village, located about 5 km from Harvalem, used to divert the water for mining purposes and later pump it back into the rivulet. But, the stoppage of mining activity last month, following a Supreme Court order, has forced the mine owners to abandon their leases. The state government earlier issued a circular asking the mine owners to continue pumping water from the pits owing to safety issues (so that it does not cause flooding in nearby villages). But, some mine owners have refused to dewater the pits. "A majority of the mines have stopped dewatering due to which there is no water flow in the rivulet, leaving it dry," said Haresh Melwani, a mine owner and member of the Goa Mining Association. "Some of the mines upstream this waterfall have gone below the water table due to which there is an imbalance," he claimed. State Mines and Geology department director Prasanna Acharya was not available for comments on the issue. However, a senior officer from the department said the North Goa district collector has called a meeting of all mine owners in the next few days to discuss the matter.

Nearly 500-year-old waterfall goes dry in Goa, locals fussed

The Gupta family agreed to sell their South African mining unit for $225 million on Wednesday, the second disposal this week from the company&#39;s portfolio of investments which have been caught up in an influence-peddling scandal.

The sale by the Gupta&#39;s Oakbay vehicle is part of plans announced a year ago to sell all their businesses in South Africa, after companies including the country&#39;s four largest banks severed links with Oakbay, citing reputational risks.

The Gupta family, business friends of President Jacob Zuma, are accused of using their links with the 75-year old leader to wield undue influence and win lucrative state contracts. Both Zuma and the family deny any wrongdoing.

Oakbay said it would sell Tegeta Exploration and Resources, whose mines supply coal to South African state-owned power utility Eskom, for 2.97 billion rands ($225 million) to a Swiss-based company called Charles King SA.

The sale is the second this week by Oakbay, which said on Monday it had agreed to sell its stakes in the New Age newspaper and the ANN7 television news channel to Zuma ally and former government spokesman Mzwanele Manyi.

Oakbay has been searching for a banking partner after Indian-based Bank of Baroda said it would also cut links with the Guptas at the end of this month.

The Guptas, who are in business with Zuma&#39;s son Duduzane, have said stepping aside as owners would help the company restore banking relations and preserve jobs.

Charles King is a little-known Lausanne-based company listed by Switzerland&#39;s company register Moneyhouse as involved in trading in clothes and shoes. Oakbay said it had been acquired by Amin Al Zarooni, who it said was a leading businessman in the United Arab Emirates, as a special purpose vehicle for investments such as Tegeta.

&quot;Mining is an excellent growth sector on the continent and with this acquisition, our expansion plans on the African continent kick start,&quot; Oakbay quoted Al Zarooni as saying.

To underscore his credentials, Oakbay also set out a list of what it said were his global commodity businesses and said he was an active participant in global private equity markets.

The deal with Charles King has the support of mines minister Mosebenzi Zwane. &quot;The Department welcomes the undertaking to save employees&#39; jobs in Tegeta&#39;s various operations,&quot; his office said in a statement.

The three Gupta brothers moved to South Africa from India at the end of apartheid rule in the mid-1990s and went on to build a business empire stretching from technology to mining.

They are now embroiled in a scandal which has drawn in several international companies, including Germany&#39;s SAP, and deepened a divide in the ruling African National Congress, with some senior members calling for Zuma to resign.

The sale by the Gupta's Oakbay vehicle is part of plans announced a year ago to sell all their businesses in South Africa,

The Gupta family agreed to sell their South African mining unit for $225 million on Wednesday, the second disposal this week from the company's portfolio of investments which have been caught up in an influence-peddling scandal. The sale by the Gupta's Oakbay vehicle is part of plans announced a year ago to sell all their businesses in South Africa, after companies including the country's four largest banks severed links with Oakbay, citing reputational risks. The Gupta family, business friends of President Jacob Zuma, are accused of using their links with the 75-year old leader to wield undue influence and win lucrative state contracts. Both Zuma and the family deny any wrongdoing. Oakbay said it would sell Tegeta Exploration and Resources, whose mines supply coal to South African state-owned power utility Eskom, for 2.97 billion rands ($225 million) to a Swiss-based company called Charles King SA. The sale is the second this week by Oakbay, which said on Monday it had agreed to sell its stakes in the New Age newspaper and the ANN7 television news channel to Zuma ally and former government spokesman Mzwanele Manyi. Oakbay has been searching for a banking partner after Indian-based Bank of Baroda said it would also cut links with the Guptas at the end of this month. The Guptas, who are in business with Zuma's son Duduzane, have said stepping aside as owners would help the company restore banking relations and preserve jobs. Charles King is a little-known Lausanne-based company listed by Switzerland's company register Moneyhouse as involved in trading in clothes and shoes. Oakbay said it had been acquired by Amin Al Zarooni, who it said was a leading businessman in the United Arab Emirates, as a special purpose vehicle for investments such as Tegeta. "Mining is an excellent growth sector on the continent and with this acquisition, our expansion plans on the African continent kick start," Oakbay quoted Al Zarooni as saying. To underscore his credentials, Oakbay also set out a list of what it said were his global commodity businesses and said he was an active participant in global private equity markets. The deal with Charles King has the support of mines minister Mosebenzi Zwane. "The Department welcomes the undertaking to save employees' jobs in Tegeta's various operations," his office said in a statement. The three Gupta brothers moved to South Africa from India at the end of apartheid rule in the mid-1990s and went on to build a business empire stretching from technology to mining. They are now embroiled in a scandal which has drawn in several international companies, including Germany's SAP, and deepened a divide in the ruling African National Congress, with some senior members calling for Zuma to resign.

Gupta's agreed to sell their South African mining unit for $225 million

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