Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Over 140 people, among them miners and school pupils hospitalized after KCM accident discharge of Sulphur Dioxide

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Konkola Copper Mine(KCM)
Konkola Copper Mine(KCM)

Over 140 people among them miners and grade 9 and 12 pupils in Chingola have been hospitalized after inhaling Sulphur Dioxide discharged from the Sulphur Burner component of the Acid Plant at Konkola Copper Mines.

This follows an accident that resulted in the abnormal discharge of Sulphur dioxide at the Konkola Copper Mine’s Acid Plant in Chingola.

This is according to preliminary information availed to the Zambia Environmental Management Agency by KCM.

ZEMA Corporate Affairs Manager Irene Chipili said as an immediate action, the Acid Plant has been shutdown to facilitate investigations into the circumstances regarding the discharge.

Mrs Chipili said further regulatory action will be undertaken in line with provisions of the Environmental Management Act No. 12 of 2011.

And reports from Chingola indicate that some pupils have been discharged after being treated at the Hospital.

And parents of the affected grade 9 pupils have requested that examinations for their affected children be rescheduled.

12 COMMENTS

  1. KCM and Vedanta deliberately did this. That evil man Argwal had his own people in India die on suspicious grounds. Protect Zambians by any means necessary from that scavenger.

    • Let us rinse ourselves from this evil Indian man.

      Ask any Indian, they dislike this man.

      He has polluted parts of India with sulphur dioxide, and killed those that protested against him.

    • Any competent attorney out there should begin to prepare lawsuits. Sue KCM to compensate all the people that have been affected by this. Sue them for millions of Kwachas. That’s the only way to teach others not to take Zambians for granted. Sue them.

    • Certain creatures are not to be done business with. The Chinese do not deal with these people from India for a reason. Even their cousins from Sri-Lanka and Bangladesh do not like them. Africa wake up.

  2. Did the Liquidator (turned operator) do a Formal Risk Assessment PF the Plant when taking over or they went in “Chinampofu” to operate the unknown? Is the same new operator competent to run a mine? You can’t start pointing an accusing finger at the previous operator for either your own inadequacies to run the plant or to manage emerging risks associated with erratic power supply! Are we not a species blessed with lack of foresight aka Vision? Put your house in order before lives are lost due to negligence! Invest and Spend more on Safety! ZEMA ayanganepo!

  3. It’s better for GRZ to reconstitute the interim management team at KCM. We have several experienced miners who can run that mine especially that it looks like we’ll have a prolonged legal battle. The PF Lawyer must go back to Lusaka, he has no business running mines. Unless the PF have a narrow agenda then they won’t take this advice. We should expect more damages. This is only take over that even State House staff were seen moving in gangster style with helicopters and brazing guns. Mining is serious business, it’s not like defeating the defunct UPND. I repeat, please put people who know mining in charge before it’s too late

  4. What’s new? How do you expect these so called foreign investors to respect worker when all the leaders are in there pockets??

  5. Munapoka mine iyo manje citani manage mwa mutendele napapata! Why do we always think when someone is appointed to manage a bakery he can also operate the ovens? Awe mwe! In fact there was no accidental release pela. They are always discharging those things; it is just now people’s resistance has gone to an all time low. Muzapaya wantu! A mambala.

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