A reservoir of toxic sludge broke its banks at a metal factory in Ajka, Hungary and flooded several nearby towns on Tuesday, killing at least four, injuring more than 100 and leaving at least three others missing.
The great gob of chemical gunk — 1 million cubic meters worth, officials say — now threatens the Danube River, one of Europe’s main waterways. Authorities say six countries downriver from Hungary could wind up affected by the disaster.
Hungarian clean-up crews are working to minimize the damage, clearing roads and houses covered by the red toxic waste, and pumping 1,000 pounds of plaster into the Marcal River, in an attempt to stem the flood before it seeps into the Danube, 45 miles away, the Associated Press reports.
The sludge is a byproduct of the chemical process used to manufacture aluminum. Although the factory operator, Hungarian Aluminum Production and Trade Company, maintains that the sludge doesn’t qualify as hazardous waste under EU guidelines, it is toxic if ingested, and some of those who have had physical contact with the stuff are complaining of painful burns to the skin.
Hungarian authorities do not know why the reservoir failed, and say that the plant had been inspected just two weeks ago, without any problems being uncovered.
EU officials say they stand ready to respond to the disaster, which the Hungarian government called the worst chemical spill in the nation’s history.
