Toxic Sludge Hits Danube
CNN reports:
Toxic red sludge that leaked from a reservoir in Hungary reached the Danube, Europe's second largest river, on Thursday as emergency officials worked to contain as much of the leak as possible.
"It is a huge tragedy for the whole country," said Anna Nagy, a Hungarian Disaster Management offical. "We love the Danube, we're very proud of the Danube and we tried to protect it."
"I hope we can save the life in the river," she said.
Hungary needs time to calculate the cost of the disaster, saying that the government's first response had been to try to save lives and clean homes.
Tibor Dobson, a top disaster management official, told CNN that the sludge -- which flowed from an aluminum plant reservoir that burst on Monday -- is less dangerous than it was when it spilled.
Officials believe pH levels have dropped to within an acceptable range, making the river safe, Dobson said. They are monitoring the Danube for sign of toxicity, such as dying fish.
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