Authorities in Congo report that a government official suspected of ordering the dumping of up to 17 tons of radioactive waste into a river has been arrested.
The country’s Environment Minister declined to disclose the identity of the arrested individual due to ongoing investigations. He stated that the waste belonged to a Chinese company but emphasized that the company had not requested the waste to be disposed of in the river.
Authorities have issued warnings through local radio stations, advising people to refrain from using the river for drinking or bathing.
The river is located not far from a mine that supplied the uranium used in the atomic bombs dropped by U.S. forces on Japan at the end of World War II. Despite the main mine shaft being closed decades ago, uranium is still present in the area, and thousands of local diggers have continued their work there.
