Acid Bath

[Technician]

DEVECSER, Hungary – Hungary declared a state of emergency in three counties Tuesday after a flood of toxic red sludge from an alumina plant engulfed several towns and burned people through their clothes. One official called it "an ecological disaster" that may threaten the Danube and other key rivers.

The toll rose to four dead, six missing and at least 120 people injured after a reservoir failed Monday at the Ajkai Timfoldgyar plant in Ajka, a town 100 miles (160 kilometers) southwest of Budapest, the capital.

Several hundred tons of plaster were being poured into the Marcal River to bind the toxic sludge and prevent it from flowing on, the National Disaster Management Directorate said.

So far, about 35.3 million cubic feet (1 million cubic meters) of sludge has leaked from the reservoir, affecting an estimated 15.4 square miles (40 square kilometers), Environmental Affairs State Secretary Zoltan Illes told the state news wire MTI.

Details: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101005/ap_on_he_me/eu_hungary_sludge_flood

Put on your rubber boots and wax your pee-hole, 'cause this water burns.

[Snarboo]

Read about this last night. It's an absolutely terrible thing to happen to a town. Almost sounds like the plot to a horror movie honestly.

[40oz]

NICE

[Sigvatr]

Probably tastes better than American beer.

[Kirby]

I never imagined something like this could happen, wow. That really is tragic for the nearby town....I guess science fiction really is possible in todays world.

[exp(x)]

Sigvatr said:

Probably tastes better than American beer.

Stone's Double Bastard Ale will make you its bitch for your lousy generalization.

[Csonicgo]

Sigvatr said:

Probably tastes better than American beer.

hey man can you stay under your rock? People are trying to have civil discourse.

[Megalyth]

I read about this last night. I couldn't help but wonder what ramifications this would have on the availability of aluminum, considering that we use it by the truckload at the plant I work at. Most, if not all, of our aluminum comes from either Canada or Russia, however, so it may not affect our supply much.

[GreyGhost]

Hungary accounts for about 0.1% of global aluminium production, so I'd say you've nothing to worry about. I pity those poor buggers who were flooded out.

[dew]

boston globe has collected some sad but breathtaking high res photos again.

one of the comments brought up an interesting issue with pic 23... it seems additionally saturated to emphasize the poisonous look. it doesn't surprise me much it's a greenpeace picture. hmmm.

[Sharessa]

Don't step in the nukage!

[Quast]

[Bucket]

NOW IT'S THE RED DANUBE LOLOLOL