Inner Mongolia sets up team to probe fatal incident killing 6 university students
The government of North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region has attached great importance to the tragic incident where six university students fell into a flotation tank during an educational visit on Wednesday, and will establish an investigation team to conduct a higher-level inquiry, China Central Television (CCTV) cited the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region bureau of emergency management as saying.
The students, who were from Northeastern University in the city of Shenyang, Northeast China's Liaoning Province, were learning about the flotation process at a plant of Wunugetushan copper-molybdenum deposit, which belongs to Zhongjin Gold Corporation, when they fell into a flotation tank after falling off a grate, according to CCTV.
After all efforts to rescue them, the students were retrieved but were confirmed drowned by medical personnel. Additionally, one teacher was injured.
After the incident, the company immediately activated its emergency response plan and sent personnel to the scene to manage the situation, Zhongjin Gold Corporation said in a statement on Thursday.
The company expresses its deep condolences to the victims, sincere sympathy to the injured and the families of the deceased, and extended its heartfelt apologies for the social impact caused by this tragedy.
Currently, Zhongjin Gold Corporation has set up an on-site command center, where relevant follow-up work is being carried out, an employee from the company told the Global Times on Thursday, adding that they will provide updates in a timely manner.
On the afternoon of Thursday, a student's family members told reporters that on Wednesday, they received a notification from the school saying that the student was undergoing emergency treatment. Later that evening, they received calls from the student's academic advisor and the leading teacher, informing them that the child had lost vital signs, according to jiemian.com.
The student's parents and elder sister arrived in Manzhouli, Inner Mongolia on Thursday. The sister said that the family's only demand is to "uncover the truth and ensure that no one involved evades responsibility."
On Thursday, the stocks of Zhongjin Gold Corporation opened with a sharp decline. By market close, the company had fallen 4.41 percent to 15.19 yuan ($2.13) per share, with a total market capitalization of 73.631 billion yuan.
The Northeastern University told the Global Times that it is still collecting information related to the accident, and will report their findings in due course.
In a video released by the Xinhua News Agency, the plant involved has suspended all its operations.
Flotation is an important technique for processing ores, commonly used in the extraction of valuable metal-bearing particles from crushed ore, with flotation tanks being the key equipment, according to cctv.com.
The tank is usually a large, deep vessel, either square or round, with depths reaching several meters. Instead of water, the flotation tank contains a slurry made from crushed ore, water and flotation chemicals.
This slurry is much denser than water and has a thick, mud-like consistency. If someone falls into it, they quickly sink to the bottom, and the slurry can block the airways, making it difficult to breathe; corrosive chemicals can severely burn a person's respiratory system and lungs if inhaled. Additionally, there is a high-speed rotating impeller in the tank, and anyone falling in could be struck by it, which can potentially break bones or cause severe injuries, the cctv.com explained.
In a commentary published Thursday, Xinhua asked why the grating above the flotation tank — an essential part of the mineral processing plant — was suddenly detached during the students' visit.
"Was it the result of long-term neglect, or was there a fundamental flaw in the installation from the start? Moreover, were routine safety inspections and equipment maintenance conducted properly?"
The commentary further cautioned that this tragedy should serve as a stark reminder of the need for heightened safety practices in school social programs.