The Kriva River in North Macedonia’s town of Kriva Palanka has been severely polluted following the recent accident at the Toranica lead-zinc mine, which leaked heavy metals and cyanide into the water, the municipality announced on March 28.

The pollution from the Toranica mine threatens human health, contaminates soil and agricultural crops, and endangers livestock that rely on the affected watercourses. This, in turn, poses a significant risk to food safety.

Mayor Sasko Mitovski has vowed to seek criminal liability for those responsible, citing alarming contamination levels, according to a statement issued by Kriva Palanka municipality on March 28.

According to a report by Skopje-based laboratory Tehnolab, water samples taken after the accident at the Toranica mine show that the water is seriously polluted and dangerous to human life and health. The results indicate alarmingly increased concentrations of harmful substances, including a ten-fold increase in the concentration of lead and several hundred-fold increased concentrations of cyanides, phosphorus and nitrogen.

The municipality of Kriva Palanka said that it will seek criminal liability for the pollution in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Criminal Code. Authorities are calling on the Public Prosecutor’s Office to urgently take measures to sanction the perpetrator.

In addition, concerns have been raised over the actions of MP Emil Spasovski and representatives of the State Environmental Inspectorate, who have been accused of misleading the public by claiming the water was safe without holding the relevant data.

"Irresponsibility and populism must not be a feature of the system that should protect the safety of citizens. We expect urgent action and decisive measures from the institutions to prevent such cases in the future," stated the municipality of Kriva Palanka.

The municipality will now take steps to repair the damage and will request additional support from the central government.