2025 Sino-Metals Leach Zambia dam disaster Environmental investigators determine that the February 2025 failure of a tailings dam owned by a Chinese copper mining company dumped 50 million liters of highly toxic waste into the Kafue River basin, killing ecosystems up to 100 km (62 mi) downstream and impacting the water supply, fishing activities, and irrigation of 60% of Zambia's population. Sources: The Independent