On July 25th, according to reports, Yu Minhong announced on social media that to mourn the six young lives tragically lost at Northeastern University, Oriental Select’s “See the World” and “You and Me” programs will suspend broadcasting for one day on July 25th.
Official reports indicate that around 10:20 AM on July 23rd, six students from Northeastern University were visiting and learning about the flotation process at the beneficiation plant of China Gold Group Inner Mongolia Mining Co., Ltd. Wunugutu Mountain Copper Molybdenum Mine. Tragically, they fell into a flotation tank due to the detachment of a grating plate.
Following all efforts for rescue, after the six individuals were brought out, medical personnel confirmed they had drowned. One teacher sustained injuries.
Additionally, recently, CCTV reporters conducted on-site investigations at the enterprise involved and interviewed the injured teacher at the hospital. The teacher suffered minor injuries and is currently recovering.
The flotation workshop director stated in an interview with CCTV reporters: “The slurry is about 6 meters deep, with a temperature of 30 to 40℃ and a slightly neutral pH value.”
He explained that the visit followed a designated green viewing channel within the workshop, which has a width of approximately one meter, typically allowing two people to walk side-by-side without issue. On the day of the accident, the visiting group consisted of 55 students and teachers, with three staff members responsible for explanations. The location where the fall occurred was about 4 meters away from where the director was providing explanations, indicating a clear deviation from the green viewing channel. The director remarked, “I was explaining to the teachers and students in front, and students behind also wanted to see, possibly by going around from behind. Before entering the site, we maintained order in the area, but we did not implement safety and order maintenance along the viewing channel itself.”
Furthermore, he informed reporters that the grating plates are made of steel and are inspected daily. The area where the grating plate detached is also an area where staff regularly inspect and operate equipment. However, for this large-scale student visit, neither the enterprise nor the school had conducted any specific, targeted safety inspections beforehand.
