Local authorities in northern Niger have ordered several gold mines managed by a Chinese company to temporarily close following reports of dozens of animal deaths from drinking wastewater, according to officials on Sunday.
Herders near the town of Tabelot attributed the animal deaths to the mines operated by Sahara SARL, as they ruled out drought or epidemics as potential causes for the region’s animal fatalities.
“We counted 24 dead over two days and at the end of April we finally realised that the slaughter was being caused by harmful products in the water the mines were rejecting,” said Youssaf Houssa, chief of Tamannit, one of the affected villages.
Almou Akoli, a resident of Fasso village, reported losing 16 animals, while others in the area struggled to quantify their losses.
China’s Sahara SARL commenced gold mining operations in January, situated in grazing areas with limited natural water sources.
Following a police investigation on Friday, Niger’s Ministry of Mines ordered the temporary closure of at least four mining sites, as confirmed by sources.
According to reports from the local newspaper Air Info, an official assessment concluded that the catastrophe resulted from chemical products used in the mines, posing a threat to the water table in an already challenging environment for animal husbandry.
