Mining at one of the pits at the Ellendale diamond mine in Western Australia has been suspended until further notice, after structural damage was observed there, Mining Weekly reports. Kimberley Diamonds halted excavation at the E9 open pit after an ordinary blast caused some of the pit wall to slip underneath the main access ramp, making it unsafe to use.

The Ellendale mine is responsible for providing 50% of the global supply of natural fancy yellow diamonds and the E9 pit is thought to hold about 15 million metric tons of ore and 776,000 carats of rough diamonds. However, Kimberley does not foresee any significant slowing down in its production schedule because it has at least two months worth of high-grade ore already stockpiled. In addition, Kimberley holds another twelve months worth of lower-grade stockpiles of ore. As a result, the diamond company believes that its financial numbers will not change in any way, according to Mining Weekly.