Experts from Spain, the Netherlands, Germany and Hungary will arrive in Romania these days to assess the situation in the Pride salt mine, which was severely damaged by floods at the end of May. The international experts will help the Romanian specialists find the best solutions for saving the mine, the head of the Department of Emergency Situations, Raed Arafat, told Antena 3 TV last night, BTA reported.
The specialists will have to answer three key questions – is there a risk to people in the area, what are the consequences for the environment and what will be the fate of the mine itself, which is also a tourist attraction.
Environment Minister Mircea Feket and Economy Minister Bogdan Ivan will visit the site again, after they were also on the ground last week, Digi 24 TV reports.
On Saturday, President Nikusor Dan also visited the Pride salt mine in Harghita County and demanded that those responsible for the serious situation in the area, which affects the lives and livelihoods of thousands of people, be identified.
The head of the Department of Emergency Situations announced to Antena 3 TV last night that international specialists will begin arriving today to help their Romanian colleagues save the salt mine.
The Romanian Ministry of Interior and the Department of Emergency Situations have activated the European support mechanism for the salt mine, which is closed due to floods and where there is a risk of the ceiling of the old mine collapsing, Economy Minister Bogdan Ivan announced.
The Pride salt mine was flooded on May 29 due to heavy rains in the region. The local Corund River overflowed its banks and water entered the mine, destroying machinery, mining equipment and salt reserves. Local residents claim that water intrusions into the mine have been known for a long time, and accuse the authorities of negligence.
Pride is one of the largest salt deposits in Europe and a strategic reserve for the Romanian economy. The salt from here is exported to a number of European countries. 6.5 thousand people live in the village of Pride, and 80 percent of the local economy depends on the normal operation of the salt mine. Last year, the cave was visited by 470,000 patients and tourists, TASS notes. Inhaling the air in the mine is recommended for respiratory diseases (asthma, bronchitis, allergies).
There are several dozen salt mines in Romania. They are underground halls and galleries several kilometers long. In some of them, salt mining continues, others are exploited for tourist and medical purposes, and in others, such as the Pride salt mine, all types of activities are combined.