EU nations to help Hungary clean up toxic spill

08.10.2010 [22:06]
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Baku, October 8 (AZERTAC). Experts from a handful of European Union states are set to travel to Hungary over the coming days to help contain a toxic mud spill that has killed six people so far, dpa quoted the European Commission as saying Friday.

The toxic waste spilled from a broken dam at the MAL Magyar plant - which processes bauxite to produce aluminium - on Monday, flooding the village of Kolontar.

Some 120 people required hospital treatment after coming into contact with it.

Ferran Tarradellas, spokesman for the EU`s commissioner for disaster response, Kristalina Georgieva, said Friday that `more than five (EU) countries` had responded to an aid request Hungary had submitted a day earlier through the EU`s civil protection mechanism.

Authorities had appealed for `three to five experts with strong field experience in handling toxic sludge, decontamination and mitigation of environmental damage` the commission said in a statement.

An announcement on the exact composition of the team would be made later Friday or on Saturday, Tarradellas added.

Separately, Hungary`s premier Viktor Orban indicated that Georgieva would visit his country on Sunday.

EU nations to help Hungary clean up toxic spill

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