Firestone Diamonds PLC Suspension of Operations to combat Coronavirus (5236H)

TIDMFDI

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 M ine 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 is 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.com   or contact: 
 
                                              [phone] 
 Firestone Diamonds plc                        1690 
 Paul Bosma 
 Grant Ferriman 
 
  Macquarie Capital (Europe) Limited 
   (Nomad and Broker)                         [phone] 
   Alex Reynolds                               2000 
                                              [phone] 
 Tavistock (Public and Investor Relations)     3150 
 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.

This information is provided by RNS, the news service of the London Stock Exchange. RNS is approved by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as a Primary Information Provider in the United Kingdom. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution of this information may apply. For further information, please contact [e-mail] or visit www.rns.com.

END

STRFIFITVFIEFII

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

March 25, 2020 04:05 ET (08:05 GMT)