KITWE, March 15 (AGCNewsNet) – A catastrophic acid spill at a Chinese-owned copper mine in Zambia has severely contaminated the Kafue River, killing aquatic life and threatening the livelihoods of millions who depend on the waterway.

The spill, which occurred on February 18, happened after a tailings dam collapsed, releasing 50 million liters of toxic waste into a stream that feeds into the Kafue, Zambia’s most important river. Environmental experts and government officials say the damage stretches at least 100 kilometers (60 miles) downstream, with dead fish and vanished birdlife marking the destruction.

Zambian President, Hakainde Hichilema, has called for urgent intervention, warning that the disaster threatens both people and wildlife. The Zambian Air Force has been deployed to drop tons of lime into the river in an effort to neutralize the acidic contamination.

The Chinese-owned mining company Sino-Metals Leach Zambia, a subsidiary of China Nonferrous Metals Industry Group, has taken responsibility for the spill. Chairman, Zhang Peiwen, apologized, pledging full restoration efforts, but local outrage remains high.

Environmentalists argue that Chinese mining operations in Zambia, Congo, and Zimbabwe have a history of poor safety and environmental neglect. Zambia, which owes over $4 billion in debt to China, has struggled to hold foreign mining companies accountable.

Authorities also discovered a second acid leak from another Chinese-owned mine in Zambia’s Copperbelt. Two Chinese managers were arrested after allegedly concealing the spill, while a mine worker reportedly died after falling into acid.

With both mines shut down, many Zambians fear that long-term water contamination and damage to agriculture could have devastating effects. Activists and locals are calling for stricter regulations to prevent future disasters.

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