State of emergency declared in parts of Hungary

Hungary declared an alert in three counties yesterday after a flood of toxic
red mud from an alumina plant engulfed several towns and burned people through their clothes.
One official called it «an ecological disaster» that may threaten the Danube and
other key rivers. The death toll rose to four dead, six missing and at least 120 people injured after a reservoir failed Monday at the Ajkai Timfoldgyar plant in Ajka, a town southwest of the capital Budapest.

The National Disaster Management Directorate said several hundred tons of plaster were being poured into the Marcal River to bind the toxic sludge and prevent it from flowing on. The disaster agency added that 390 residents had to be temporarily relocated and 110 were rescued from the flooded towns, including Kolontal, Devecser and Somlovasarhely. Firefighters and soldiers swept through the region yesterday carrying out cleanup tasks with bulldozers. The mud, a waste product in aluminum production, contains heavy metals and is toxic if ingested.