Sino Mine acid spill, 2025: Difference between revisions

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The '''2025 Zambia acid spill''' occurred on **18 February 2025**, when a tailings dam at the Sino‑Metals Leach Zambia facility in Chambishi, Copperbelt Province collapsed, releasing approximately 50 million litres of acidic and heavy-metal–laden waste into the Mwambashi Stream and subsequently the Kafue River. The disaster severely impacted water supplies, ecosystems, agriculture, and livelihoods across the region.<ref>“A river 'died' overnight in Zambia after an acidic waste spill at a Chinese-owned mine,” AP News, 15 Mar 2025</ref><ref>“In Zambia, the river 'died' overnight: 50 million liters of acid and heavy metals in the water,” EADaily, 17 Mar 2025</ref>
{{Infobox disaster
| title      = 2025 Zambia acid spill
| image      = <!-- Optional: add an image file, e.g., Mwambashi_Spill.jpg -->
| caption    = Acid-contaminated effluent in Mwambashi Stream, February 2025
| date        = 18 February 2025
| location    = Chambishi, Copperbelt Province, Zambia
| coordinates = <!-- e.g. 12°41′S 28°14′E -->
| type        = Tailings dam collapse / Acidic mine effluent spill
| cause      = Failure of Sino-Metals Leach Zambia tailings dam
| outcome    = River acidification, ecological damage, water supply disruption, multi-agency cleanup
| fatalities  = 0 confirmed (no direct human deaths)*
| injuries    = Potential health impacts from contaminated water
| organizations = Sino-Metals Leach Zambia; Zambia Air Force; ZEMA; WARMA; Nkana Water; Ministry of Water and Sanitation
| website    = <!-- Optional: link to government cleanup report or site -->
}}
 
The '''2025 Zambia acid spill''' occurred on 18 February 2025, when a tailings dam at the Sino‑Metals Leach Zambia facility in Chambishi, Copperbelt Province collapsed, releasing approximately 50 million litres of acidic and heavy-metal–laden waste into the [[Mwambashi Stream]] and subsequently the [[Kafue River]]. The disaster severely impacted water supplies, ecosystems, agriculture, and livelihoods across the region.<ref>“A river 'died' overnight in Zambia after an acidic waste spill at a Chinese-owned mine,” AP News, 15 Mar 2025</ref><ref>“In Zambia, the river 'died' overnight: 50 million liters of acid and heavy metals in the water,” EADaily, 17 Mar 2025</ref>


==Background==
==Background==
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==See also==
==See also==
* [[Kafue River]]
* [[Kafue River]]
*[[Mwambashi stream]]
* [[Mwambashi stream]]
* [[1970 Mufulira Mine Disaster]]
* [[Mining in Zambia]]
* [[Mining in Zambia]]
* [[Environmental disasters in Zambia]]
* [[Environmental disasters in Zambia]]
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[[Category:2025 in Zambia]]
[[Category:2025 in Zambia]]
[[Category:Environmental disasters in Zambia]]
[[Category:Disasters in Zambia]]
[[Category:Mining in Zambia]]
[[Category:Mining in Zambia]]
[[Category:Copperbelt]]
[[Category:Copperbelt]]
[[Category:Tailings dam failures]]
[[Category:Mining disasters in Zambia]]