YEREVAN, OCTOBER 31, ARMENPRESS. The Syunik provincial prosecution has launched a criminal case into the contamination of the Voghji River which is said to have happened after a pipeline of the Zangezur Copper Molybdenum Combine mining company was damaged and wastewater ended up in the river on October 17.

The Criminal Case is filed under Article 284 Paragraph 2 Point 1 of the Criminal Code (Violation of Safety Procedures in Dealing With Hazardous Chemical or Biological Materials and Waste, which has negligently caused contamination of the environment).

According to law enforcement the investigation has revealed that the contamination happened from the Nerkin Geratagh Village, where the 1020mm diameter 31st pipeline section of the company was damaged as a result of “apparent violation” committed by the company’s personnel when transporting the waste.

The Syunik provincial department of the Committee of Investigations is in charge of the probe.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan