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Dead cattle found near Chinese rare earth mine in Sam Neua

Dead cattle found near Chinese rare earth mine in Sam Neua

MGR Online•International•34m ago

Reader Briefing

Residents of Sam Neua are concerned after dead cattle and fish were found in the Waen River following a reservoir breach at a Chinese-Lao rare earth mine.

  • •Two dead cattle and numerous dead fish were found along the Waen River in Sam Neua, Houaphan Province.
  • •A reservoir at the Lao-China Rare Earth Development Northern 2 Co., Ltd. mine breached on November 2, 2026.
  • •Local authorities previously banned water usage in Ban Muang Waen, Ban Na Kao, and Ban Na Khun following the breach.
  • •The company claims the leaked water was natural water, not chemicals, while the Houaphan provincial team reported water quality met environmental standards.

Overview

  • •On November 2, 2026, a reservoir at Lao-China Rare Earth Development Northern 2 Co., Ltd. breached.
  • •The reservoir breach was caused by heavy rain leading to the collapse of the reservoir edge, which the company described as force majeure.
  • •Approximately 1,000 cubic meters of water flowed into the Waen River, leading authorities to temporarily ban water consumption in Ban Muang Waen, Ban Na Kao, and Ban Na Khun.
  • •Lao-China Rare Earth Development Northern 2 Co., Ltd. asserted that the leaked water was natural water pumped for production, not chemicals.
  • •A working team from Houaphan Province collected water samples from the Waen River and found values within environmental standards.
  • •The Association of Zone 4 reported that fish continued to die daily from November 7, 2026, and two dead cattle were found on November 13, 2026.
  • •A previous chemical leak occurred on February 25, 2024, causing mass fish deaths, which Lao-China Rare Earth Development Northern 2 Co., Ltd. addressed by releasing 550 kg of fish.
  • •Lao-China Rare Earth Development Northern 2 Co., Ltd. received a concession on January 28, 2022, to mine rare earths across 45 square kilometers in Houaphan Province.

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Key Entities

Organization

Lao-China Rare Earth Development Northern 2 Co., Ltd.(บริษัทลาว-จีน พัฒนาแร่หายาก ภาคเหนือ 2 จำกัด)
A company holding a concession to mine rare earths in Houaphan Province whose reservoir breached on November 2, 2026.
Association of Zone 4(สมาคมเขต 4)
A non-profit organization monitoring the events regarding the rare earth mine leak.

Place

Waen River(แม่น้ำแว่น)
A river in Sam Neua where dead cattle and fish were discovered.
Sam Neua District(เมืองซำเหนือ)
A district in Houaphan Province where the mine and affected villages are located.
Houaphan Province(แขวงหัวพัน)ℹ️
The province in Laos where the rare earth mining activities are taking place.
Ban Na Tang(บ้านนาต้าง)
A village in Sam Neua where dead cattle were found by the river.
Ban Muang Waen(บ้านเมืองแว่น)
A village where residents were banned from using Waen River water.
Ban Na Kao(บ้านนากาว)
A village where residents were banned from using Waen River water.
Ban Na Khun(บ้านนาคูน)
A village where residents were banned from using Waen River water.
Ban Uthai(บ้านอุไท)
A village in Houa Muang District within the company's mining concession area.
Houa Muang District(เมืองหัวเมือง)
A district in Houaphan Province containing part of the mining concession area.
Ban Sob Xay(บ้านสบซาย)
A village in Sam Neua District within the company's mining concession area.
Ban Thap Phueng(บ้านทับผึ้ง)
A village in Sam Neua District within the company's mining concession area.