Inquest finds British contractor killed in Mozambique attack gave up rescue spot
A British coroner ruled that Philip Mawer, a construction manager killed by insurgents in Mozambique in 2021, was unlawfully killed after he voluntarily surrendered his place on a rescue helicopter to prioritize women, children, and the sick. The inquest in Winchester heard that Mawer, who worked for a subcontractor on a TotalEnergies gas project, chose to flee in a vulnerable vehicle rather than an armored one. While the coroner praised Mawer's selflessness, testimony revealed that TotalEnergies refused fuel to evacuation helicopters and denied British special forces access to its site, though the court found the energy giant had no legal duty of care to Mawer as a subcontractor. The hearing provides sworn evidence for ongoing criminal complaints in France regarding the company's role in the attack, which killed over 1,300 people.