Hungary's Toxic Red Sludge Reaches Danube
The toxic red sludge that burst out of a metals plant reservoir and inundated three villages reached the mighty Danube on Thursday, but a Hungarian emergency official said no immediate damage was evident on Europe's second-longest river.
The European Union and environmental officials had feared an environmental catastrophe affecting half a dozen nations if the red sludge, a waste product of making aluminum, contaminated the 1,775-mile long Danube.
The reservoir break Monday disgorged a toxic torrent into local creeks that flow into waterways connected to the Danube. Creeks in Kolontar, the closest town to the spill site, were swollen ochre red Wednesday and villagers said they were devoid of fish. Kolontar is 45 miles south of the Danube.