The 980 adit tailings pond in Thaksin mining area was originally owned by Tarshan Iron Mine of Linfen Iron and Steel Company, which was built in 1980s and stopped using on 1992. In 2005, the property right of Ta 'ershan Iron Mine was auctioned to Hexin Mining Co., Ltd. ..
1992 tailings pond was closed, and measures were taken to close the reservoir, such as filling the dam with gravel, covering the dam top with loess, planting trees and greening, and building flood discharge channels above the reservoir area. Thaksin Mining Company purchased the iron ore property right by auction, and dug the warehouse and discharged the tailings on the old warehouse without authorization, which led to the large-scale liquefaction of the tailings pond and the instability of the dam body, resulting in this major dam-break accident.
From 8: 00 a.m. on September 7th to 8: 00 a.m. on September 8th, 2008, the precipitation in Xiangfen County was1.5mm. Meteorology defined the precipitation of10mm as light rain. During the first nine days from August 29th to September 6th, there was no rain in Xiangfen County. According to the investigation of the State Council investigation team, the cause of the accident was "responsibility accident".