Congo says Angola pollution kills 12

The Democratic Republic of Congo will seek compensation from the owners of an Angolan diamond mine after a tailings dam leak polluted drinking water, causing 12 deaths and making thousands of people ill, the country's environment minister said.The late-July leak from Angola's biggest diamond mine turned a tributary of the Congo River red following a rupture in a spillway for the mine's tailings dam, which stores mining industry waste meant to stay undisturbed.Researchers at Kinshasha University last month pointed to "huge pollution" that affected some 2 million people, killed fish and caused diarrhoea among river communities. read moreCongo, which shares a 2 575 km long border with Angola, will seek compensation in line with the "polluter pays" principle, where those who produce pollution should bear the cost of mitigating it, Eve Bazaiba told a media conference after visiting the country's southern Kasai province.Bazaiba said she could not yet say how much in damages the country could seek. She said 4 400 people had fallen ill.The mine's operator, Sociedade Mineira de Catoca, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the damages claim and deaths listed by the minister.The leak and deaths represent the latest in a string of tailings disasters for the global mining industry that investors, executives and environmentalists have tried to curtail with safety and inspection standards introduced last year.Not all companies including Catoca have publicly committed to the standards, which are non-binding, further fuelling questions about how the standards can cause industry-wide change if not all mines and mining companies adhere.Catoca, a joint venture between Angolan state diamond company Endiama and Russia's Alrosa, said in a press release last month that tailings leaked into the Lova River, a tributary of the Tshikapa River, which eventually feeds into the Congo River, in late July.Satellite images reviewed by Reuters show the Tshikapa turned red on July 25.Catoca said it immediately sought to repair the leak, built two dykes to filter sediment out of the water and by Aug. 9 the breach was sealed. read moreAlrosa, which holds a 41% stake in Catoca, did not disclose the incident and told Reuters it was not its responsibility to do so as it does not control the mine site. -Nampa/Reuters

Congo says Angola pollution kills 12

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