(ECNS) -- Six students from Northeastern University drowned during a practical training session on Wednesday at a copper-molybdenum processing plant in North China's Inner Mongolia, operated by China National Gold Group.
The tragedy occurred when a steel grating gave way, causing the students to fall into a flotation tank.
According to an on-site investigation by state media CCTV News, the visit was part of a mandatory internship involving 55 students and faculty members in the university's mineral processing engineering program. CCTV reported that the plant had ceased all operations, and the flotation workshop where the incident occurred had been cordoned off.
Local emergency authorities confirmed that the internship was a compulsory course, scheduled during the summer vacation and worth two academic credits. The accident happened around 10:20 a.m., during a guided tour of the flotation workshop. The grating, measuring approximately 1 meter by 2.6 meters in size, was located about two meters above the tank.
Emergency protocols were immediately activated. Equipment was shut down, and plant staff attempted rescue operations. The company's mine emergency response team arrived within 40 minutes, and all six victims—aged between 20 and 22—were pulled from the tank by 12:40 p.m. Despite rescue efforts, all six were pronounced dead due to drowning. An instructor who also fell was successfully rescued and is currently recovering in the hospital.
CCTV's on-site reporting also revealed that the flotation slurry did not contain strong acids or alkalis, with a pH level between 8 and 9, with temperatures between 30 and 40°C .
The Inner Mongolia regional government has established an investigation team and escalated the incident to a higher-level inquiry. China National Gold has halted operations at the site and pledged full support to the investigation and management of the aftermath.
(By Evelyn)
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