Hungary Plagued by Toxic Disaster

The country of Hungary has declared a state of emergency in three counties after toxic chemical waste burst from an alumina plant. The toxic waste is said to contain caustic material ( which means it is capable of burning, corroding, or destroying living tissue) and is being referred to as red sludge. The chemicals create an alkaline reaction with the skin, however this effect can be neutralized by washing with plenty of fresh water. So far four peole have been confirmed dead, 120 are injured, and six more are missing. The flood of waste destroyed cars, homes, bridges, and has forced the evacuation of many villages. Some 35.3 million cubic feet of sludge has leaked out from the plant so far, and an estimated 15.4 square miles of land has been afected. In some parts the red sludge stood 6.5 feet deep which contributed to 110 residents needing to be rescued from the flooded areas. At least 500 police officers and soldiers have been deployed so far along with multiple emergency detection teams. Environmentalists are calling it an ecological disaster, but also cite that they have been warning the government for years about the dangers of this red sludge, and the government had thus far done nothing about it. The main concern right now is with the safety of the Hungarian citizens and preventing the sludge from entering into local rivers such as the Raba and Danube. Who is at fault for the leak is still to be determined, but the plant owners are saying that they could not have noticed the signs or done anything to prevent it. The Hungarian government is not seeking any international assistance for the time being, but whether or not that changes will depend on the severity of the disaster in the days to come.

For more information read the articles on BBC at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11475361 and on the New York Times at http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/10/04/world/europe/AP-EU-Hungary-Sludge-Flood.html?_r=1&hp

By: Colin Zimmerman