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The Star
4 days ago
- General
- The Star
Six Chinese university students drown on mine field trip in Inner Mongolia
Six university students drowned in an industrial tank during a field trip to a mining operation owned by China's most prestigious gold producing company, according to state news agency Xinhua. One teacher was also injured in the incident, which occurred on Wednesday morning at China National Gold Group's Wunugetushan copper-molybdenum mine in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, it said. The students, from Northeastern University in Liaoning province, drowned after a grating panel gave way and they fell into a flotation tank. They were pulled from the tank in the mine's processing plant, but could not be revived, according to Xinhua. The report did not give further details about the victims or the incident. State broadcaster CCTV said the regional government would launch an investigation into the incident. According to the official Jimu News in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, the victims were in their third year and majoring in mineral processing engineering. The report quoted an unnamed student who had previously visited the plant as saying the flotation tank was more than 10 metres (33 feet) tall and filled with slurry – 'similar to a mudslide'. Flotation tanks separate minerals from mined ore, with the targeted minerals attaching to bubbles that float to the surface. The structure is usually made of metal, plastic or wood and features a grating panel. 'There are usually only 20 to 30 employees in the flotation area, but when students and teachers come to visit, the number often exceeds that of the staff present,' the student was quoted as saying. In a statement on Thursday, China National Gold Group confirmed the fatalities, offering condolences for the victims and apologies to the public. The company is the only central state-owned firm in China's gold industry, and was the first Chinese board member of the World Gold Council, according to the company. The company owns 48 mines and six smelters in China and abroad, including in Africa, Kyrgyzstan and Russia. Quoting a company staff member, state-run China News Weekly reported that operations had stopped at the plant for an investigation. It said the deceased students were from the university's school of resources and civil engineering. According to a post on its social media account on February 25, the Wunugetushan mine had 'successfully completed' replacement of the grating panels. The plant also said in an online post on July 11 that it had just held a safety production meeting reviewing the first half of the year. The company had 'consistently insisted on a balanced approach to coordinate development and safety' and 'safe production was always the top priority', it said. A 2021 article published on the company's social media account said its Inner Mongolia plant had won the 'recognition and affirmation' of Northeastern University as an 'Excellent Practical Education Base' for students to gain industry exposure. It said 50 mining engineering students from the university visited the company's plant every July to 'put their theoretical knowledge into practice' via the on-site teaching programme. Calls to various departments at the university went unanswered. - SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
South China Morning Post
6 days ago
- South China Morning Post
Questions grow as China mourns 6 engineering students lost in mine accident
Calls have been growing in Chinese state media and from the public for stricter safety measures and a thorough investigation into the deaths of six university students who fell into an industrial flotation tank on Wednesday. The students, from Northeastern University in Liaoning province, were on a field trip to the China National Gold Group's Wunugetushan copper-molybdenum mine in Inner Mongolia when the incident happened. A teacher was also injured. According to state news agency Xinhua, the government of the Inner Mongolia autonomous region has assembled an accident investigation team to determine the cause, clarify the nature of the incident, and propose corrective measures. The team had arrived at the accident site and started investigating, Xinhua said on Friday. Meanwhile, various media outlets in China have been reporting new details of the accident, which is believed to have occurred when a grating panel gave way, pitching the group into the slurry-filled tank. State-owned China Media Group reported on Thursday that on-site staff shut down the operation immediately when they heard students crying out that people had fallen into the flotation tank.
Reuters
6 days ago
- Reuters
Six university students drown in China mine accident
BEIJING, July 24 (Reuters) - Six university students drowned on Wednesday while on a field visit to a copper molybdenum mine in northern China owned by Shanghai-listed Zhongjin Gold Corp ( opens new tab , according to a stock exchange filing on Thursday. The students from Northeastern University in Shenyang fell into a flotation cell - a piece of mining equipment that uses a liquid solution to extract copper from crushed ore - after protective grates collapsed. A teacher was also hurt in the accident at the mine located in China's Inner Mongolia region, according to the filing from Zhongjin Gold, a subsidiary of state-owned China National Gold Group Co. The company said it activated an emergency plan and reported the incident to the relevant departments of the local government. The operator of the mine, a subsidiary of Zhongjin Gold, halted production, the company said in another stock exchange filing later on Thursday. Shares of Zhongjin Gold closed down 4.4% on Thursday. Such field visits have been organised for years and the incident was unexpected, said a teacher from Northeastern University, according to a social media account belonging to Henan Radio and Television. The university sent staff to the site to manage the incident, the teacher said.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Yahoo
6 College Students Drown During Visit to Mine After Grate They Were Standing on Gives Way: Reports
Six college students from China have reportedly drowned during a field visit to a mine in northern China's Inner Mongolia region. According to NBC News, Reuters and local outlet China Daily, the students from Northeastern University were visiting the copper molybdenum mine at 10:20 a.m. on Wednesday, July 23, when the tragedy occurred. The pupils were looking at the flotation process when the grid plate they were standing on suddenly gave way, resulting in them falling into a flotation tank, per NBC News, citing local news agency Xinhua, According to Reuters and China Daily, a teacher was also injured in the incident. The mine is reportedly operated by Zhongjin Gold, a subsidiary of the state-owned China National Gold Group. 'Despite rescue efforts, all six students were confirmed drowned after being pulled from the tank. One teacher was also injured,' Zhongjin Gold said in a company filing on Thursday, per NBC News. According to Reuters, an emergency plan was activated by Zhongjin Gold following the incident. The students were pronounced dead by medical staff after being rescued from the tank, per China Daily. PEOPLE has contacted Zhongjin Gold and Northeastern University for comment. According to NBC News, principal and vice chancellor of Edinburgh-based Heriot-Watt University, Richard Williams, said a person that falls in the tank could pass through thick foam on top 'and then find themselves in a mixed slurry or in contact with the mixer blades.' 'These types of accidents are rare. But mine safety remains a global challenge due to the nature of the work,' he added. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. According to Williams, who has a background in mineral engineering, flotation tanks are used to separate different types of small mineral particles, per the outlet. Read the original article on People
South China Morning Post
6 days ago
- General
- South China Morning Post
6 Chinese university students drown on mine field trip in Inner Mongolia
Six university students drowned in an industrial tank during a field trip to a mining operation owned by China's most prestigious gold producing company, according to state news agency Xinhua. One teacher was also injured in the incident, which occurred on Wednesday morning at China National Gold Group's Wunugetushan copper-molybdenum mine in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, it said. The students, from Northeastern University in Liaoning province, drowned after a grating panel gave way and they fell into a flotation tank. They were pulled from the tank in the mine's processing plant, but could not be revived, according to Xinhua. The report did not give further details about the victims or the incident. State broadcaster CCTV said the regional government would launch an investigation into the incident. The tank is used to process ore. Photo: Handout According to the official Jimu News in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, the victims were in their third year and majoring in mineral processing engineering.
