A huge wave of toxic sludge from an illegal aluminium smelter has flooded large areas of farmland on the border between Qingyuan and Zhaoqing cities in Guangdong, affecting the livelihood of tens of thousands of people.
Xinhua reported around 4,500 cubic metres toxic sludge leaked to rivers and waterways in the fields.
All the fish in a local river were killed when the wastewater reservoir of the aluminium ash factory, which processes residues from aluminium refining, burst on Monday, the Guangdong-based Nanfang Daily reported yesterday. Citing local witnesses, the newspaper said up to 1,000 mu (66.6 hectares) of farmland in at least three villages along the Baima river may have been affected by the spill.
Chen Guixiang, a Communist Party chief at Baimang village, one of the worst-hit villages, recalled the horrific scene when a torrent of foul-smelling water and toxic sludge rushed down a hill where the factory was located and flooded his village and several others.
The reservoir breached when the factory owner tried to repair the dyke, the report said.
The smelter sat right on the border between Qingxin county in Qingyuan city and Zhaoqing city's Guangning county.
But the newspaper's report was denied by local authorities in both Qingyuan and Zhaoqing, who insisted the incident and its impact had been grossly exaggerated.