Hungary commemorates sludge disaster
- 13 years ago
The sun sets over the Hungarian town of Kolontar.
Here, local villagers gather for communal remembrance of the catastrophe that hit their quiet village one year ago.
In Hungary's worst ecological disaster, 10 people were killed and more than 120 injured when a toxic waste reservoir belonging to an alumina company burst, unleashing a torrent of caustic red mud that destroyed everything in its path.
Local residents lay flowers and candles at memorials to disaster victims.
One monument is dedicated to a man who died when he went back into the sludge to help others, and was swept away.
A year on, anger against the company which owned the alumina factory is still palpable.
(SOUNDBITE) (Hungarian) MAYOR OF KOLONTAR, KAROLY TILI, SAYING:
"One year ago a terrible catastrophe happened which wrote itself forever into the history of the village. We lived next to the reservoir like living on a time bomb. Unfortunately it exploded on October 4. It started with elemental force toward the village. Nobody in their worst dreams imagined that this could happen. The anger of the people was intensified when the leaders of the company did not stand before the people and did not consider themselves responsible."
As night falls, a torch-lit procession moves through the empty streets of Kolontar.
At the site of each house that was destroyed the procession pauses - taking a moment to remember the tragedy that touched each of them.
To this day, the company that owns the reservoir has offered condolences and apologies, but has denied any wrongdoing.
Travis Brecher, Reuters
Here, local villagers gather for communal remembrance of the catastrophe that hit their quiet village one year ago.
In Hungary's worst ecological disaster, 10 people were killed and more than 120 injured when a toxic waste reservoir belonging to an alumina company burst, unleashing a torrent of caustic red mud that destroyed everything in its path.
Local residents lay flowers and candles at memorials to disaster victims.
One monument is dedicated to a man who died when he went back into the sludge to help others, and was swept away.
A year on, anger against the company which owned the alumina factory is still palpable.
(SOUNDBITE) (Hungarian) MAYOR OF KOLONTAR, KAROLY TILI, SAYING:
"One year ago a terrible catastrophe happened which wrote itself forever into the history of the village. We lived next to the reservoir like living on a time bomb. Unfortunately it exploded on October 4. It started with elemental force toward the village. Nobody in their worst dreams imagined that this could happen. The anger of the people was intensified when the leaders of the company did not stand before the people and did not consider themselves responsible."
As night falls, a torch-lit procession moves through the empty streets of Kolontar.
At the site of each house that was destroyed the procession pauses - taking a moment to remember the tragedy that touched each of them.
To this day, the company that owns the reservoir has offered condolences and apologies, but has denied any wrongdoing.
Travis Brecher, Reuters