On July 23rd, six students from Northeastern University visited and learned about the flotation process at a mine plant under the state-owned enterprise China National Gold Group. Unfortunately, during the visit, a grid plate fell off and caused them to fall into the flotation tank, resulting in their tragic deaths. The involved mine plant has ceased production, and the stock price of China Gold Group was momentarily impacted, dropping by over 7%.
In the morning of July 24th, China Gold Group released a statement indicating that the incident occurred at the Wunugutu Mountain Copper-Molybdenum Ore Dressing Plant of Inner Mongolia Mining Company, a subsidiary of China Gold Group, where the students were visiting. After being rescued, it was confirmed by medical personnel that the six students had drowned, with one teacher sustaining injuries.
According to sources from Northeastern University, the victims were students majoring in Mineral Processing Engineering at the School of Resources and Civil Engineering. The visit was part of an internship organized by the school for around fifty to sixty third-year students, aligning with graduation requirements.
A source at Northeastern University, Ms. Wei, disclosed to Da Xiang News on the morning of July 24th that the flotation tank contained highly toxic components such as hydrogen sulfide in the high-density ore pulp. Additionally, the tank had stirring blades operating at high temperatures, rendering any individual submerged in the tank incapacitated within a minute, giving them little chance of survival.
Two online commentators confirmed the dangerous nature of the equipment in the plant. One mentioned the sharpness of the plastic impeller blades used for stirring the pulp, while the other, a maintenance worker at the plant, compared the machinery to a mincer.
The revelation of sharp blades and high-temperature operations led to speculations among netizens about potential damage to the students’ bodies. The bodies of the six deceased students have been transferred to a funeral home in Manzhouli City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, as reported by Jimo News. At present, the families of the victims have not arrived, and the specific schedule for the funeral rites has yet to be determined.
In a later report by Cover News on the afternoon of July 24th, the parents and elder sister of one of the students had arrived in Manzhouli, expressing deep sorrow upon learning about the tragic loss of their child and sibling. They emphasized their desire for the truth to be uncovered and for those responsible to be held accountable, seeking no evasion of responsibilities.
According to data from Enterprise Check, China National Gold Inner Mongolia Mining faced 27 safety hazards in 2021. In 2024, the company and its executives were fined a total of 518,000 yuan for unauthorized construction by the authorities.
A staff member at China Gold Securities Section, interviewed by Jiupai News, mentioned that the implicated mine has ceased operations and local authorities are managing the situation, awaiting further instructions from the supervisory departments.
Following the incident, on July 24th, the stock of China Gold Group (600489.SH) witnessed a significant drop at the opening bell. By around 9:55 am, it had plunged over 7%, trading at 14.69 yuan per share with a total market value of 71.2 billion yuan.