Hungary is racing to prevent red chemical sludge from a huge spill reaching the Danube river, officials have said.
The alkalinity has risen in the Raba river, which flows into the Danube - Central Europe's major waterway.
If the sludge enters the Danube the pollution could reach six countries down river, including Croatia, Serbia and Romania.
Hungary's PM says the worst-hit area will have to be abandoned.Clay has been dumped into a tributary of the Danube to try to neutralise the sludge.
The alkalinity in the Raba river was higher than normal, at about pH9 early on Thursday - above the harmless level of between pH6 and pH8, a spokesman for the disaster agency told Reuters news agency.
Hungary says it will take at least a year to clean up the spill from an alumina plant reservoir in the western county of Veszprem.
Police have opened a criminal negligence inquiry into the incident, which has killed four people and led to at least 120 others needing medical treatment.
source : http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11491412
478 Hits > 2010-10-07 04:40:30
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