Toxic Sludge Floods Hungary Villages

Hungary declared a state of emergency in three western counties on Tuesday.

This comes one day after a torrent of toxic red sludge from an alumina reservoir swept through local villages, killing four people and injuring 120.

Six people are currently missing, and about 400 residents have been evacuated.

The mud — waste generated during bauxite refining — poured through Kolontar and two other villages on Monday after bursting out of a containment reservoir at a nearby plant owned by MAL.

A MAL statement said there had been no sign of impending disaster, adding the last examination of the reservoir had shown nothing unusual.

The statement also said the red slurry did not qualify as hazardous waste according to European Union standards, adding that 96-98 percent of the sludge had remained in the reservoir.

But for those affected, standards don’t mean much.

Many of those injured have suffered burns and eye irritation caused by lead and other highly corrosive elements.

The leak has been estimated at around 700,000 cubic meters.

Foto: NTDTV