Örs Orosz has posted some shocking images on his Facebook page recently. The representative of the council of Nyitra county in Slovakia said that an environmental disaster might approach Hungary on Sajó. Shockingly, the river has been red on its Slovakian segment for two weeks. Find out why in the article.

Red mud has been flowing into River Sajó for two weeks

The Ajka alumina plant accident or the so-called “red mud catastrophe” in 2010 was one of the biggest environmental disasters in Hungary. An industrial accident at a caustic waste reservoir chain took place at the Ajkai Timföldgyár alumina plant. On 4 October 2010, the northwestern corner of the dam of reservoir number 10 collapsed, freeing approximately one million cubic metres (35 million cubic feet) of liquid waste from red mud lakes.

The mud was released as a 1–2 m (3–7 ft) wave, flooding several nearby localities, including the village of Kolontár and the town of Devecser. Ten people died, and 150 people were injured. About 40 square kilometres (15 sq mi) of land were initially affected. The spill reached the Danube on 7 October 2010.

• Read more: The biggest catastrophes in Hungary – photos

Authorities investigating

Örs Orosz, a representative of Nyitra county council in Slovakia, shared photos depicting the River Sajó, which is currently red from a similar mud released into it. The civil rights activist added that the polluted water is approaching Hungary. The source of it is the iron ore mine in Alsósajó. He even gave the exact place where the red mix enters the Sajó, the former site of the Siderit company – oagroinform.hu reported.

Here are some photos Örs Orosz published:

Allegedly, the river’s iron level exceeds 2,000 times the limit. Furthermore, there is a large amount of sulphur in the river.

As a result, the once crystal clear water turned into a deadly mixture of iron and sulphur, killing animals and insects. 

Environmental catastrophe approaching Hungary?

Mr Orosz said that Slovakian authorities are investigating the issue, and he notified their Hungarian counterpart because the Sajó River flows to Hungary into the Tisza River. Meanwhile, comments under Mr Orosz’s post say that the local radio denies or does not acknowledge the severity of the pollution. Others claimed that the authorities were already investigating and hoped the red mud could be stopped.

On 13th March, Mr Orosz shared the first official Slovakian analysis of the river’s water. The sample was taken on 24th February, so he argued that authorities had been hiding information about the pollution since then. He added that 2.4 tonnes of polluted liquid flew into the river every day. For example, there is poisonous arsenic in the river. Its level exceeds 187 times the limit in Slovakia and 2,600 times the river’s usual content. 

In a follow-up post today, the local activist said that the red colour disappears from the river’s water in Tornalja, near the Hungarian-Slovakian border. Hydrologists cleared that the pollution diluted seven times thanks to the tributaries Csermosnya, Murány, and Rima.

Read alsoEnvironmental catastrophe approaching Hungary on River Sajó? – PHOTOS

Source: agroinform.hu, facebook.com/orosz.ors