AkshayMar 17, 2025

Holy Hell

““Now everything is dead, it’s like a totally dead river. Unbelievable. Overnight, this river died.”

“an acid spill at a Chinese-owned mine …contaminated a major river and could potentially affect millions of people after signs of pollution were detected at least 100 kilometers (60 miles) downstream.”

https://apnews.com/article/mining-pollution-china-zambia-environment-93ee91d1156471aaf9a7ebd6f51333c1

#Environment #Zambia #Kafue #Water #Pollution #China #River #Africa

A river ‘died' overnight in Zambia after an acidic waste spill at a Chinese-owned mine

Authorities and environmentalists in Zambia fear the long-term impact of an acid spill at a Chinese-owned mine that poisoned a major river and could potentially affect millions of people after signs of pollution were detected at least 100 kilometers downstream. The spill happened on Feb. 18 when a tailings dam which holds acidic waste from a copper mine in the north of the country collapsed. It allowed some 50 million liters of waste to flow into a stream which links to the Kafue River, Zambia’s most important waterway. An environmental activist called it a "disaster really of catastrophic consequences.”

AP News
MondenfeeMar 17, 2025

In #sambia ist der #staudamm eines Beckens mit Abwasser voll Schadstoffen aus einer #chinesisch|en #kupfermine gebrochen. Dadurch wurden das Umland und das Wasser des #Mwambashi, der mit dem #Kafue|-Fluss verbunden ist, einem der wichtigsten Wasserwege des Landes, verseucht. Tiere und Pflanzen starben über viele Kilometer hinweg ab. Derzeit wird das Ausmaß der Katastrophe untersucht.
#spiegel

https://www.spiegel.de/wissenschaft/natur/sambia-fluss-im-kupferguertel-stirbt-ueber-nacht-wegen-saeureabfalls-aus-chinesischer-mine-a-1599dba0-4f26-4bc8-ad7d-67d1b5e1d661

Umweltkatastrophe in Sambia: Fluss im Kupfergürtel »stirbt« über Nacht wegen Säureabfalls aus chinesischer Mine

Tote Fische, zerstörte Ernten, verseuchtes Wasser: In Sambia ist der Damm einer Kupfermine gebrochen, und eine säurehaltige Flut ist in den Mwambashi gelangt. Umweltschützer warnen nun vor katastrophalen Folgen.

DER SPIEGEL
Chuck DarwinMar 16, 2025
Authorities and environmentalists in #Zambia fear the long-term impact of an #acid #spill at a Chinese-owned mine that contaminated a major river and could potentially affect millions of people
after signs of pollution were detected at least 100 kilometers (60 miles) downstream.
The spill happened on Feb. 18
when a tailings dam that holds acidic waste from a copper mine in the north of the country collapsed
The collapse allowed some 50 million liters of waste containing concentrated acid, dissolved solids and heavy metals
to flow into a stream that links to the #Kafue #River,
Zambia’s most important waterway, the engineering institution said
https://apnews.com/article/mining-pollution-china-zambia-environment-93ee91d1156471aaf9a7ebd6f51333c1
A river ‘died' overnight in Zambia after an acidic waste spill at a Chinese-owned mine

Authorities and environmentalists in Zambia fear the long-term impact of an acid spill at a Chinese-owned mine that poisoned a major river and could potentially affect millions of people after signs of pollution were detected at least 100 kilometers downstream. The spill happened on Feb. 18 when a tailings dam which holds acidic waste from a copper mine in the north of the country collapsed. It allowed some 50 million liters of waste to flow into a stream which links to the Kafue River, Zambia’s most important waterway. An environmental activist called it a "disaster really of catastrophic consequences.”

AP News
John OrcuttMay 29, 2023
It's hard to believe that the #Gonzaga in #Chimfunshi has been on site in this particularly beautiful corner of #Zambia 🇿🇲 for nearly a week! After a few days around #Lusaka, we've been exploring ecology and culture on the banks of the #Kafue since last Tuesday!