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Millions of liters of highly acidic material had spilled into waterways, leading to mass fatalities among fish, making water undrinkable, and destroying crops, the farmers said in court papers, according to multiple media reports.

The lawsuit pits villagers, who are mostly subsistence farmers, against Sino Metals Leach Zambia and NFC Africa Mining, which are subsidiaries of Chinese state-owned firms.

Farmers told the court that the spillage affected about 3 lakh households in the copper-mining region, in one of the biggest environmental lawsuits in Zambia's history. The farmers argued that they were kept unaware of the highly toxic nature of the water till days after dam collapsed.

The US embassy had issued a health alert in August, raising concerns of "widespread contamination of water and soil" in the area. A group of 176 farmers have filed papers on behalf of their community in the High Court in Zambia's capital, Lusaka.

The dam was owned by Sino Metals Leach Zambia and located in the surface area of NFC Africa Mining. According to the farmers, the collapse was caused by numerous factors, including engineering failures, construction flaws and operational mismanagement.

The firms have not yet commented on the lawsuit, but Sino Metals Leach Zambia has previously said there was a spillage of about 50,000 cubic metres.

"The tailings release and breach were promptly brought under control within hours of detection," the firm said in a statement on September 3.

Victims reported various symptoms of illnesses, including blood in urine and chest tightness, the court papers said. Wells were polluted, and crops had to be burned as they turned unsafe for consumption, the petitioners said.

Further, the petitioners called for a $20 million emergency fund to provide "immediate and urgent" help to people affected by the disaster, and to carry out thorough health and environmental assessments. Zambian government maintained that there were no serious implications for public health since August.

- IANS