Hungarian PM promises barrier to protect property from red sludge
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Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban Saturday promised residents of evacuated Kolontar in western Hungary a barrier to protect them and their property from any further contamination by a red sludge deluge that has left seven people dead and over 150 others injured.
Speaking at a news conference in Ajka in the region, Orban warned that the containment barrier holding millions more gallons of caustic red sludge was so badly damaged that it was at risk of collapsing once again.
He made the comments after visiting the barrier earlier in the day. The damaged barrier was the reason the village of Kolontar had been evacuated shortly after daybreak and why the residents of nearby Devecser had been prepared to also leave their homes.
The latest crack in the barrier is 7 centimeters (about 3 inches), he said. Another half a million cubic meters of sludge could spill out of the reservoir, Orban said.
Commenting on the Saturday morning evacuation, the prime minister said that people were "sad and nervous, but there was no panic." Thanks to the heroic efforts of the armed forces and law enforcement bodies, the people are safe, Orban said.
Meanwhile, Defense Minister Csaba Hende told local wire service MTI that Devecser could be evacuated immediately, if necessary. There are 127 military vehicles in a state of readiness, he said.
Meanwhile, the Water and Environment Management chief for northwest Hungary, Emil Janak, reported that as of Saturday morning, the pH level of the Marcal river had been reduced to less than 8.5, which is close to normal.
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