As a precaution, Kolontár was evacuated on Saturday, while the population of nearby Devecser was instructed to be prepared to leave their homes. Some 350 police helped relocate the local residents to Ajka. Illés said staff are working to save houses in the towns of Kolontár and Devecser.

A 600-metre protective dam will be built at a cost of Ft 100 million through Kolontár. Illés added that the costs will have to be borne by the company that operates the reservoir. The dam will be completed in “world record time” of three days, he said. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán visited Kolontár on Saturday morning, and called the relocation of 715 residents a pre-emptive measure

Orbán told an international press conference that enormous damage had been done, as “we have lost human lives and the chance for a region to make a living has been destroyed. Someone must answer for that.”

The number of casualties caused by last Monday’s spillage climbed to seven on Friday after an 81-year-old man from Kolontár died of his burn injuries at Veszprém hospital and the bodies of two missing persons were found by rescue teams. One person is still missing, while 12 others remain in serious condition. A further 120 suffered chemical burns.

A new danger has arisen in the form of toxic dust rising into in the air as the sludge dries. The State Medical Office urged local residents and those taking part in rescue operations to wear anti-dust masks and protective glasses."

Source: Hungary Around the Clock.

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Photo: Szabó Balázs [origo]