Wednesday 6 October 2010

A company caused toxic catastrophe

This is the greatest ecological catastrophe, caused by human being, in Hungary has ever been.
The catastrophe causing company: Magyar Alumínium Zrt. (Mal) Zrt.
(A Hungarian aluminium producing company)
The companies owers: some of the richest men in Hungary
Location: Towns near the city of Ajka - Kolontár, Devecser, Somlóvásárhely
Date: 4th October 2010 (toxic flood within less then 10 minutes)
Number of dead (stand: October 12th): 9
Number of injured: about 150 (extermly injured 17) - all injured by chemical burnings
Number of evacuated: min. 710
The material: highly alkaline alumina sludge, with pH13, when this material dries it becomes a toxic dust.
Living in that region will not be possible again. The dust can be also blown more then 100 km away.
The Devecser SE was the best football team of the region. They lost everything: equipment, papers and they will never be able to play on their football ground again.
The hole river Marcal had become a dead river.
7th October: The pollution has reached the river Danube.
On 9-10th October they expect the polluted, but already diluted, water will reach the Croatian-Hungarian border.
The people of Kolontár do not want to live in their town again because they are afraid of deseases caused by the dry toxic powder.


















Kolontár, some days before the catastrophe on 30th September 2010: