GABORONE (AFP) — An airship used by industry giant De Beers to search for diamonds in central Botswana has crashed deep in the Kalahari desert, the company said Friday.
The Zeppelin, which began operating two years ago, careered out of control on Thursday afternoon after being caught up in violent winds in the Kalahari game reserve, local police commander Stephen Rebaitse told Botswana television.
Rebaitse said the pilot, who was the only person on board, had been taken to hospital but had no further details on his condition.
De Beers spokesman Chipo Morapedi confirmed the crash and said that investigations into its cause were continuing.
"We can confirm that the accident happened, and the company that owns the air ship, the Zeppelin, are continuing the investigations," Morapedi said.
The Zeppelin, equipped with state-of-the-art geological instruments which survey the ground and detect diamond pipes, has been used by De Beers to explore the diamond-rich Jwaneng and Debswana regions.
According to De Beers, the airship flies between 60 and 80 metres (200 and 260 feet) above the ground while conducting its surveys.
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