According to the announcement, toxic wastes from the alumina refinery Ajkai Timfoldgyar Zrt — «red mud» — got into the river system of Hungary after the explosion on the factory that happened on October 4 and destroyed the protection dike of the reservoir with hazardous substances. On the next day, on October 5, the Hungarian government declared a state of emergency in three regions, impacted by the toxic wastes spill: Veszprem, Vas and Gyor-Moson-Sopron. Hungarian authorities addressed to the European Committee on October 7 to activate the mechanism of civil protection.

The river transfer of the “red mud” may have an adverse impact on the ecological situation of Hungary and neighboring countries. The first waterway where the mud got in was the Torna creek, from which the wastes reached the Marcal river. On October 7 the toxic wastes reached the river of Mosoni-Duna, wastern branch of the Danube river at the border with Austria and Slovakia. The “mud” filled the Raba river waters falling into the Danube river as well.

Satellite imagery of the disaster area will help determining the actual size of the Danube river basin pollution and to control the mud distribution. ScanEx provided the satellite images after reception and processing to the National Center for Crisis Management of the Emercom of Russia and to the UNOSAT and UN-SPIDER international organizations.

Published: Geospatial Solutions (http://www.gpsworld.com/gis/earth-imaging-and-remote-sensing/news/red-mud-spreads-along-the-rivers-new-satellite-images-hung)