Russian landfill attracts national attention amid possible gas poisoning
This photo taken on Thursday, March 8, 2018, shows an aerial view of “Yadrovo” landfill site where a leak is reported to have originated, near the town of Volokolamsk, 100 kilometers (62 miles) west of Moscow, Russia. A gas poisoning linked to a toxic landfill in a town outside Moscow left dozens hospitalized, prompting the regional governor to promise to evacuate local children from the area. Image: AP Photo/Dmitry Serebryakov
VOLOKOLAMSK, Russia (AP) — The dump on the edge of the Russian town of Volokolamsk has long been an irritant to the community’s 20,000-odd residents, worried about emissions of noxious gases.
The concerns escalated sharply this month when two protests were held in the town some 100 kilometers (60 miles) west of Moscow, then burst into national attention on Wednesday when scores of schoolchildren sought medical help because of nausea, fainting and other symptoms of possible gas poisoning. Officials said 57 were hospitalized.
In this photo taken on Thursday, March 22, 2018, Nadezhda, center in red, a worker at a hospital in Volokolamsk, 100 kilometers (62 miles) west of Moscow, Russia, speaks to journalists as she waits with others for their test results in the wake of a reported toxic leak.Image: AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko
That day, hundreds of people gathered outside the local hospital and surrounded local administrator Yevgeny Gavrilov, with one man in the crowd trying to punch him. Gavrilov was escorted to safety as the crowd shouted “Killer!”
A 10-year-old girl in a pink cap became a hit on the internet when video showed her making a throat-cutting gesture at Andrei Vorobyov, governor of the region that includes Volokolamsk.
In this photo taken on Wednesday, March 21, 2018, Tanya Lozova, center, attends a protest over a toxic landfill in Volokolamsk, Russia. A gas poisoning linked to a toxic landfill in Volokolamsk, a town outside Moscow, left dozens hospitalized, prompting the regional governor to promise to evacuate local children from the area. A 10-year-old girl in a pink cap became a hit on the internet when video showed her making a throat-cutting gesture at Andrei Vorobyov, governor of the region that includes Volokolamsk. Image: AP Photo
Vorobyov’s office announced Friday that Gavrilov, the district leader, has been removed from office. Vorobyov has promised to get the landfill problem solved by mid-June, but anxiety remains high among residents. NVG
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