The United States Government has ordered the immediate withdrawal of all its personnel from Kitwe and surrounding areas affected by the recent Sino Metals tailings dam spill in Chambishi.
According to a statement posted on their official Facebook page, the spill has contaminated the environment with hazardous and carcinogenic substances, including arsenic, cyanide, uranium, and other heavy metals adding that these contaminants pose both immediate and long-term health risks, particularly as they continue to persist in water, soil, and potentially the air.
The statement further read that the U.S. government expressed concern that the toxic substances may become airborne, further increasing health risks through inhalation.
Consequently, American personnel have been evacuated from Chambishi Town, areas along the Chambishi Stream and Mwambashi River up to the Mwambashi-Kafue confluence, as well as from Kitwe Town.
The U.S. personnel have also been instructed to avoid any travel to Kitwe that would require them to drink or consume food prepared with municipally sourced water.
The U.S. Embassy has advised American citizens in and around the Sino Metals Leach Mine area, including downstream regions toward Kitwe, to take strict precautions to avoid exposure to potentially contaminated water and food.
RCV News.
