Toxic sludge nears Danube River

Hungarian officials are struggling to prevent toxins from reaching Europe’s largest river.

On Monday a reservoir at an aluminum plant 160 km west of Budapest burst, flooding local communities with alkaline slurry. Emergency officials say that the sludge has now reached the Raba River, which flows into the Danube, a major European waterway. The disaster has already killed four people, including two children, and 250 local residents have been evacuated. The pH level of the river shot up to 13 in the wake of the disaster, but has now lowered to 9.3, which Hungarian authorities say is acceptable although still above neutral. Emergency crews have been pouring plaster and fertilizer into the river to help lower the pH level. The long-term impact of the disaster is not known.