Hungary: Poison sludge reaches Danube

The toxic red sludge has reached the Danube River this Thursday, it has been confirmed in Hungary. However, news agencies are quoting Hungarian officials as saying that no immediate damage was evident on the river. Hungary: Poison sludge reaches Danube In Serbia, which lies downstream from the ecological catastrophe, Environment Minister Oliver Dulic said that the river has not been contaminated at this point, but that the situation is being monitored. Earlier today, the BBC reported that Hungary was "racing to prevent red chemical sludge from a huge spill reaching the Danube". 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, said reports. Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban says the worst-hit area will have to be abandoned. He visited Kolontar, one of the affected villages, on Thursday. 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. Near the plant, clay has been dumped into a tributary of the Danube, the Marcal river, to try to neutralise the sludge. But 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. A Hungarian firefighter is seen in the affected area (Beta/AP)

Hungary: Poison sludge reaches Danube

In Serbia, which lies downstream from the ecological catastrophe, Environment Minister Oliver Dulić said that the river has not been contaminated at this point, but that the situation is being monitored.

Earlier today, the BBC reported that Hungary was "racing to prevent red chemical sludge from a huge spill reaching the Danube".

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, said reports.

Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban says the worst-hit area will have to be abandoned. He visited Kolontar, one of the affected villages, on Thursday.

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.

Near the plant, clay has been dumped into a tributary of the Danube, the Marcal river, to try to neutralise the sludge.

But 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.