ABIDJAN, July 3, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - Contaminated water from a gold mine in Ivory Coast that leaked into a river from a cracked valve "slightly poisoned" 185 people, officials said Tuesday. The Cavally River, an important resource for drinking water and fish for the region's inhabitants, runs for several hundred kilometres (miles) along the west of the country. "The alert was given directly to the local population by Endeavour Mining," said Dao, adding that "dead fish were found the next day". In a statement sent to AFP on Tuesday, Endeavour Mining "categorically rejects the allegations of massive pollution of the Cavally River and of endangering local populations". Dao said he had taken a number of measures, including banning the consumption of fish and drinking water from the river, and the provision of drinking water to residents.
