Zijin Mining Group, the largest gold mine in China, is being sued for 170 million yuans (26 million dollars) for damages caused when the water from its tailing pond burst a dam, flooded residential areas and left 22 dead in the city of Xinyi, a local court official stated on Thursday.

Source: Pueblo en Línea

18/02/2011.

The Xinyi Municipal People’s Court has accepted close to 800 lawsuits filed against the mining group by residents of the city, in the Guangdong province, and the number will continue to rise, said a spokesperson from the same court. The same spokesperson also anticipated that once all legal claims had been received they would total 300 million yuans.

A total of 22 people died and 523 homes were destroyed in Xinyi after the tailing pond of the Xinyi Yinyan Zijin tin mine overflowed and collapsed a dam, coinciding with Typhoon Fanapi on 21 September last year.

A provincial government-led investigation has determined that both the dam and the tailing pond were poorly constructed and operated, and has attributed responsibility of the accident to Zijin.

Zijin has indicated that it respects the outcome of the Guangdong provincial government investigation and announced last December that it would donate 50 million yuans (7.5 million dollars) to the flood victims.

Zijin is the largest gold mine and a major producer of copper and zinc in China (Xinhua).