SEVERE FLOODING PARALYZES HISTORIC PRAID SALT MINE IN ROMANIA

ENVIRONMENTAL ALERT • The worst floods in three decades in Romania's Harghita county have created critical conditions at the historic Praid salt mine, one of the country's main tourist attractions. Authorities are battling an "uncontrollable" influx of water and assessing the extent of damage 120 meters underground.

Praid, Romania – Severe flooding in Romania's Harghita county, the worst in the last three decades, has led to critical conditions in the historic Praid salt mine. This mine, one of Europe's largest salt reserves and a major tourist attraction in Romania, is now severely impacted, authorities have stated.

According to County Prefect Petres Sandor, the water inflow is currently uncontrollable. "We have lost the battle with nature. Water has started flowing back into the salt mine, with a flow that currently cannot be controlled," Sandor told local media.

"Authorities will conduct an assessment as soon as possible to determine the condition of the walls and pillars inside the mine and to decide what to do next," the prefect added. The Praid salt mine dates back to Roman times. In recent times, the attraction, located on the Via Transilvanica route, has also served as a medical center and a popular tourist destination, complete with an adventure park, a cinema, a small museum, and other facilities, all situated approximately 120 meters underground.

Extent of Damage Still Unclear

Authorities have yet to determine the exact severity of the emergency in the salt mine and the full impact of the flood. "The situation is complicated. When water comes into contact with salt, it immediately dissolves it and creates a hole," stated Sorin Rindasu, head of the emergency situations department at the Romanian Water Administration.

"The flow of the Corund stream has increased, and water has poured further into the mine," Rindasu added. Authorities affirm that, while the situation is critical, the flooding will not destabilize the entire mine in the short term. "It would take quite some time for the water to dissolve so much salt inside as to pose a stability problem; we're talking about months, years, not days or weeks, in any case," Sandor reassured.

In recent years, water leaks have already been a recurring problem for the mine, and authorities had previously carried out works to prevent infiltration.

The Romanian government has offered assistance to the region to cope with the emergency situation. The Ministry of Economy has also assured residents that it will make further investments to reduce the impact of the salt mine flood on Romanian tourism and reopen the mine to visitors as soon as possible.