World Bulletin / News Desk

Millions of cubic metres of mine waste has spilled into freshwater after a break in a tailing dam in a British Columbia mine in the intermontane region of Canada on Monday.

In the region, a state of emergency was declared after some 10 million cubic meters of water and 4.5 million cubic meters of fine sand (1 cubic meter is equal to 264 gallons) spilled into clean water sources after the collapse in the Mount Polley copper and gold mine near the town of Likely.

The collapse occured in the mine owned by the Imperial Metals Corp., said British Columbia’s Environment Minister Bill Bennett.

A precautionary water ban has been put in place on the Quesnel river and lake, the Cariboo River and Hazeltine Creek and Polley Lake.

The Canada Fisheries and Oceans Ministry has also put a fishing ban on the Cariboo and Quesnel Rivers.