Environment official says toxic sludge has reached Danube

Official: Toxic sludge reaches Danube

KOLONTAR, Hungary — A government official says the toxic sludge that flowed from a metals plant reservoir earlier this week has reached the Danube.

Emergency services spokesman Tibor Dobson told the state MTI news agency that the red sludge reached a western branch of Europe’s second-largest river early Thursday. But he says that highly caustic slurry that left more than 100 people with chemical burns has been reduced to the point where it is unlikely to cause further damage to the environment.

Dobson said the pH content of the sludge, originally above 12, is now under 10.

The spill Monday released a toxic torrent into local creeks that flow into a network of waterways connected to the Danube.