Hungary toxic sludge spill reaches Danube river

[News_Editor]

Hungary toxic sludge spill reaches Danube river

2010-10-07 16:02:24 GMT+7 (ICT)

BUDAPEST, HUNGARY (BNO NEWS) -- Hungary's toxic sludge spill on Thursday reached the Danube river, officials said, threatening to pollute major waterways.

According to officials, water alkalinity was slightly above normal, with a pH value between 8.96 and 9.07, against a normal figure of 8.0, after the toxic mud reached Europe's second longest river.

The government on Wednesday ordered the aluminum company responsible for the toxic red sludge that killed four people to shut down as an ecological disaster is feared.

After the container barrier burst, around 600,000 cubic meters of the red chemical sludge swept villages and towns between Ajka and Devecser, flooding homes, taking cars off the road, killing 4 people, including 2 children, and causing 120 others to be hospitalized due to burns from the liquid.

Several people are still reported missing and hundreds of families were forced to evacuate the area.

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) on Wednesday expressed concern over the spill, fearing its long-term effects and environmental impact.

“This is an unprecedented incident that effects deeply the ecosystem, wetlands and surface water bodies of the region as well as pointing out the fragility of our drinking water reserves,†said Gabor Figeczky, the Deputy CO of WWF-Hungary.

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