Society

Top miner responsible for dam breach in S China

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-09-27 19:36

GUANGZHOU - China's top miner is responsible for the dam overflow that left 28 people dead or missing early last week when a typhoon hit?South China's Guangdong province, provincial authorities said on Monday.

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Xinyi Zijin Mining, a branch of China's largest gold miner, Zijin Mining, is responsible for the accident, but details of the liability will be decided after further investigation, a provincial government statement said.

The dam in Guangdong's Xinyi city held the tailings of a tin mine. Its contents overflowed on the morning of Sept 21, as rainstorms associated with typhoon Fanapi pounded the area. Grayish mud and rocks from the dam flattened part of a village.

The dam was examined and approved by Guangdong's work safety authorities in March and received an operations license in August, said Wang Hui, general manager of Xinyi Zijin Mining.

The tin mine was in trial operation when the accident occurred.

A team led by Zhu Mingguo, Guangdong's deputy Party head, and Vice Governor Li Rong'geng are investigating the accident.

It was the second time in recent months Zijin Mining has come under fire.

On July 3, water containing heavy metals leaked from a Zijin Mining copper mine into the Tingjiang River in East China's Fujian province.

The pollution caused a massive fish kill and turned a large part of the river blue and smelly. The water supply of villagers living along the river was also affected.

Chen Jiahong, the company's vice president, was detained on July 27 in connection with the accident.