Rare drone film of suspected dumping spurs Chinese agencies into investigation

**Chinese authorities investigate suspected industrial dumping on the Yangtze after drone footage**

Authorities in central China have launched a joint investigation into suspected industrial dumping on the Yangtze River following the release of drone footage that shows barges discharging an unknown black substance into the water near Tianxingzhou islet in Wuhan.

The Wuhan Environmental Protection Bureau announced on Monday that it would work with police and transport authorities to examine the incident. The inquiry was prompted by footage posted online on Sunday by the social‑media account “Fishing and Hunting Brother Qi.” In the video, a barge stops in the middle of the river and, within about ten seconds, releases a dark plume that is several times the length of the vessel.

Tianxingzhou is an islet in the Wuhan section of the Yangtze that hosts a facility which supplies roughly 3,000 tonnes of water daily to about 800 residents, according to 2024 data from Hubei’s water resources department.

The investigation comes less than two weeks after Beijing updated performance‑assessment rules for officials, making them personally accountable for life in cases of serious environmental damage. The new regulations aim to strengthen enforcement of environmental protection across the country.

Article and image source: scmp.com