Deadly sludge escape kills four in western Hungary

[muriel_volestrangler]

Source: BBC

Hungary has declared a state of emergency in three western counties after sludge from an alumina plant killed four people and injured 120.

The red chemical sludge flooded out of a burst dam, affecting at least seven villages and towns including Devecser, where it stood 2m (6.5ft) deep.

The sludge is said to contain caustic material and to be toxic if ingested.
...
Some 600,000-700,000 cubic metres (21m-24m cubic feet) of sludge escaped from the plant, 160km (100 miles) from the capital, Budapest.

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11475361

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Pictures: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11475136

[ensho]

1. we are not the only country that has deadly sludge ponds of one kind

or the other.

new and better regulations should be put on sludge ponds. post haste.

[intaglio]

3. Tell me about it

I live in Cornwall and we still suffer from toxic settlement ponds and overflows from abandoned mines.

[gristy]

2. A quote from the corporation that owns the plant

"According to the current evaluation, company management could not have noticed the signs of the natural catastrophe nor done anything to prevent it even while carefully respecting technological procedures," MAL said in a statement.

:mad:

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/10/04/world/europe/AP-EU-Hungary-Sludge-Flood.html?_r=1&hp

[hatrack]

10. "Natural catastrophe" my ASS

No, I guess they just couldn't have done ANYTHING to monitor hundreds of thousands of M3 of highly caustic, toxic waste.

Fuckers.

[Blue_Tires]

11. right now they're just hoping they can afford

that PR firm that worked with BP over the summer...

[dipsydoodle]

4. Hungary battles to stem torrent of toxic sludge

Source: BBC News

Emergency services in Hungary are trying to stop a torrent of toxic red sludge flowing into major waterways, including the River Danube.

A state of emergency has been declared in three western counties after the chemical waste burst from a reservoir at an alumina plant.

Four people are known to have died, with 120 injured. Six more are missing.

At least seven villages and towns are affected including Devecser, where the torrent was 2m (6.5ft) deep.

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11475361

[Chulanowa]

5. That'll be $75 per hamlet to be rescued, please n/t

[Mnemosyne]

6. How horrible. Now I'll miss seeing the Danube, along with the Gulf.

:cry:

[ChangoLoa]

7. Mad disaster!

Highly toxic waste



Raw footage:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5IoOIA--SE

[HoneychildMooseMoss]

8. An der schoenen roten Donau?

The RED Danube? Ack. I feel sorry for the poor people of Hungary who are victims of this disaster.

[Princess Turandot]

9. You can see the sludge pond in Google Maps quite clearly..

It's here:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Devecser,+Hungary&sll=40.728783,-73.984448&sspn=0.021106,0.044417&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Devecser,+Hungary&ll=47.089176,17.500362&spn=0.075736,0.201874&t=h&z=13

Devecser is to the northwest of it.

PT

[Blue_Tires]

12. more photos here:

http://www.spiegel.de/fotostrecke/fotostrecke-60224.html