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10 October 2010
Last updated at
17:34
In pictures: Sludge flood misery continues
Six days after a flood of leaking toxic red mud hit parts of western Hungary, clean-up efforts continue despite fears a second wave could strike.
The inhabitants of the town of Devecser have been told to pack a single bag and be prepared to leave at any moment; buses and trains are on standby to take them to safety.
Around 1,000 people have been evacuated from the badly-affected village of Kolontar. Some have gone to stay with relatives, others are billeted at a sports centre.
Villages, towns and waterways were affected when some 1m cubic metres of waste material leaked out from a reservoir at a local alumina plant on Monday.
Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban has promised the "toughest possible consequences" to ensure such a disaster can never happen again.
Meanwhile, the race is on to build a new protective wall, 400m long and several metres thick. It would slow down but not stop the tide of red sludge if the waste reservoir breaks again.
Officials have been monitoring cracks in the wall of the massive storage pool and worry that if it rains the northern wall will rupture and release another huge torrent of mud.
Water from the nearby Danube is still being sampled regularly as monitoring of the effects of the leak continues in Hungary and in other countries along the river's course.
Officials say Monday's spill affected 1,017 ha (2,500 acres) and left seven people dead and scores needing hospital treatment.
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