Europe facing ecological disaster

On 15^th April 1999 at 22:40 NATO forces heavily bombarded the plants of the Petrochemical Complex in Pancevo which were in regular operation. Installations and equipment of the Vinyl Chloride Monomer plant and Ethylene plant were directly hit.

Indirectly, heavy and destructive explosions damaged the Chlor-alkali plant and Polyvinylchloride plant and buildings inside the complex as ell as a large number of civilian houses and flats in the surrounding area. The fire broke out and huge quantities of toxic matters such as chlorine, ethylene dichloride and vinyl chloride monomer flowed out. The transformer stations were also heavily damaged and very toxic transformer oil flowed out. Unfortunately but unavoidably a large number of people were injured and intoxicated.

At this moment we do not know the exact number of intoxicated and injured civilians who were evacuated. Due to the power failure and utilities and auxiliary fluids interruption a large quantity of combustible, explosive and toxic matters remained trapped in the equipment, installations and tanks. It will take a lot of time to drain and evacuate all those matters from the plants before the plants could be considered safe for a wide surrounding area. The plants have been heavily damaged and cannot be put in operation.

According to all the terms and rules of warfare accepted and followed so far, the plants of chemical process industries of this type have never been military targets and objects of strikes.

The range of products of "HIP Petrohemija" d.p. Pancevo is of extremely civilian nature and bombardment of these plants represents the worst war crime and it reveals genocidal intentions of the aggressor. Therefore, we call upon the petrochemical producers, licencors and engineering houses all over the world to raise their voice and warn those who give orders for bombing of the danger and catastrophic consequences which might be caused by bombing of this kind of plants.