Hungary: Toxic red sludge has reached the Danube

[POV]

KOLONTAR, Hungary – The toxic red sludge that burst out of a Hungarian factory's reservoir and inundated three villages reached the mighty Danube on Thursday after wreaking havoc on smaller rivers and creeks, an emergency official said.

The European Union and environmental officials had feared an environmental catastrophe affecting half a dozen nations if the red sludge, a waste product of making aluminum, contaminated the Danube, Europe's second-longest river.

Officials from several nations downstream — Croatia, Serbia and Romania — were testing the river every few hours Thursday but hoping that the Danube's huge water volume would blunt the impact of the spill.

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Hopefully the loss of life and environmental impact can be minimized.