Residents of Bonanza denounce the contamination of several rivers in this area, due to the fact that on Saturday, May 13, there was a cyanide spill at a company’s mill Hemco Miners Nicaragua.
In a video circulating on social media, a resident describes that it is sediments that affect nearby rivers. “In tank #1 of the plant of the Colombian company Hemco, a hose that produces processed gold material broke, that is, cyanidespilled thousands of liters of that chemical that ended up in the Bed of Caño Tungky contaminating about 100 linear meters on the road and leaving the residents without water, “he denounced.
“Cyanide is a chemical that causes cancer, and is used to extract gold. With this the population has been exposed», warned an inhabitant of Bonanza, from the North Caribbean of Nicaragua.
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Likewise, the environmentalist Amaru Ruiz He pointed out that the rivers contaminated by the cyanide spill are the Tungki and Kukalaya rivers; and that “at least three indigenous and Afro-descendant territories” are affected by this situation.
For its part, the company Hemco Miners Nicaragua reported that its emergency brigades attended to the accident and that “the situation was controlled immediately.”
Hemco confirms
“The Hemco Mineros Nicaragua Emergency Brigade proceeded to respond to an accidental situation that occurred at the company’s mill, as a result of a spill from the agitator that stores industrial waste. The situation was controlled immediately and it was reported to the authorities for evaluation and follow-up,” the company detailed in a statement.
“In accordance with the emergency protocol, the correction process carried out consisted of isolating and controlling the passage of the affected road, placing lime on the spill, total collection of waste on the road, application of chlorine and lime on the lower part of the sewerage and general washing in all surrounding areas,” he added.
Hemco Mineros also assured that are in the process of assessing the damages of the situation to determine the causes and that they will soon share the results.
So far, authorities such as the Ministry of the Environment and Environmental Resources (Marena) or the Secretary of Natural Resources (Serena) of the Autonomous Regional Government of the North Caribbean Coast have not ruled on this situation, which leaves hundreds of families affected indigenous people.
