PHOTOS, VIDEO: Historic Hungarian salt mine, Transylvanian tourism hotspot submerged in water and may collapse

Although the miners of the Parajd (Praid) salt mine did what they could, they were not able to save the mine from the swollen Korond Stream. Before, the company built two temporary riverbeds to try to divert water from the mine and a wall inside the mine’s Telegdy branch. However, they could not halt the immense amount of precipitation rushing down from the mountains following heavy rainfalls. Locals blame the management of the mining company and politicians, and gathered in front of the mine gate shouting, crying and demanding justice and help.

Historic Transylvanian salt mine closed

Hunor Kelemen, the leader of the biggest party of the Hungarians living in Romania (RMDSZ), promised locals in a video uploaded on Facebook after 2.30 PM today that their priority is the safety of the people, the preservation of the workplaces and local tourism. He also promised that they would get help from the central government in Bucharest and that Parajd and its locals and miners would not remain alone.

However, desperate people do not believe him. Commenters wrote that the political leadership and the mining company did not act despite all the warnings, so the disaster was their fault. According to Transtelex, a local Hungarian media outlet, even the Telegdy branch was submerged under the floodwater this afternoon. The mine then had to be closed. Locals, guesthouse owners, and miners believe that it will not reopen for long.

PM Viktor Orbán and Kelemen have discussed the natural disaster in the salt mine in Parajd. Orbán promised the RMDSZ leader that Hungary would provide the Szeklers with all the help they needed in connection with the situation. Hungary’s government will give the Szeklers and Parajd all the help necessary to mitigate the damage and restore the salt mine to its prior state, Gergely Gulyás, the head of the Prime Minister’s office, told a regular government press briefing yesterday. “Szeklerland can count on us,” the prime minister said after his talk with Kelemen.