Tout n'est que poussiere...
The black town00:11' 01/12/2007 (GMT+7) VietNamNet Bridge – No matter where are you in Quang Ninh province’s Mao Khe Town - the kingdom of coal - inside your room or out on the street, you will have to use a mask to shield your face from the dense coal dust. Mao Khe is now called the black town.
Over the past three years, 250 to 300 trucks with tonnage of 15 to 20 tonnes carrying coal run through this town each day, torturing the local people.
Most children under five catch lung-related diseases. Local people tried to sweep and collect the dust in their houses and within a single day there was a startling amount: 8kg of coal dust per family per day.
Serious pollution in this region has been reported to the local administration but the only step taken is spraying more water throughout the town.
VietNamNet captured this black spot on the Vietnamese map through photos.
Layered in black
A swept balcony lasts no more than a few minutes
Even at home, locals cannot escape the dust
Water isn’t the answer