Hungary sludge wall 'to collapse'

The Hungarian prime minister has said the weakened northern wall of an aluminium sludge reservoir which caused a devastating toxic spill, is likely to collapse within hours.

Viktor Orban's comments on Saturday came as the village of Kolontar, which lies close to the deadly sludge spill in the country's west, was evacuated for fear of a new leak of the dangerous heavy metal waste.

"Last night the interior minister informed us that cracks have appeared on the northern wall of the reservoir, whose corner collapsed, which make it likely that the entire wall will collapse," Orban said in the western town of Ajka, the site of an alumina plant.

During his visit to the affected area, he also acknowledged that "human error" had caused the spill.

Authorities ordered the evacuation of Kolontar on Saturday morning at 7am local time after further damage was discovered at the reservoir that spilled toxic sludge on Monday, according to the national news agency, MTI.

Fears of new leak

Kolontar and Devecser were the towns hardest hit when up to 700,000 cubic metres of red sludge poured out of the reservoir at the alumina plant in Ajka.

Orban said about 500,000 cubic metres of red sludge could spill out of the reservoir, but this substance was thicker than the roughly one million cubic metres which swept through nearby villages this week, killing seven people and injuring around 150 others.

Reporting from Ajke on Saturday, said "authorities are measuring the density of the sludge, by dropping steel rods into the reservoir, in the hopes that it will give the disaster unit an idea of how much of this material is going to come pouring out".

On Saturday "all 800 residents of Kolontar were taken to a sports hall and two schools in Ajka, eight kilometres away, over fears of new leaks", she said.

"Officials insist that the decision was taken as a precautionary measure."

Many residents have suffered from burns and eye irritations caused by corrosive elements in the mud.

MAL Zrt, the company that owns the metals plant, said the waste was not considered hazardous under EU standards and recommended people clean off the sludge with water.

Tibor Dobson, the disaster unit chief, said no new waste has escaped from the huge container "so far".

Experts have been pouring large quantities of clay and acid into affected waterways in an effort to neutralise the alkaline pollutants.

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N Korea marks Communist founding

North Korea has begun three days of celebrations to mark 65 years since the founding of the country's Communist Workers' Party.

For the first time, international media outlets, including Al Jazeera, are getting a rare glimpse inside the communist state - where the celebrations are to be broadcast live from the capital, Pyongyang, on Saturday.

But the festivities, which culminate in a large military parade in the capital on Sunday, are more than an event to mark the anniversary of communist rule.

North Korean officials are also expected to use the celebrations to confirm the historic handover of power from ailing leader Kim Jong-il to his son and heir apparent, Kim Jong-un.

Koreans 'honoured'

Yang Hyong Sop, a senior official in the country's ruling party, told the APTN broadcaster on Friday that North Koreans will be honoured to follow Kim Jong-un.

"Our people take pride in the fact that they are blessed with great leaders from generation to generation," Yang said.

"Our people are honoured to be led by the great president Kim Il Sung and the great general Kim Jong-il. Now we also have the honour of being led by General Kim Jong-un."

Kim Jong-il announced his youngest known son's appointment to two important political posts late last month, according to state media, in what was regarded as the first step in his succession plan.

The senior Kim came to power when his father died of heart failure in 1994, setting in motion the communist world's first hereditary transfer of power.

He was officially chosen as successor in 1972, when he was elected to the party's central committee, and the same scenario could hold true for his son.

Regional dynamics

The question of who will take over from the senior Kim, believed to suffer from a host of ailments, is important to regional dynamics as well as security, because of North Korea's active nuclear and missile programmes, and regular threats it makes against rival South Korea.

Kim Tae-young, South Korea's defence chief, said on Friday that the US and South Korea should be prepared for a crisis in North Korea when the senior Kim leaves power.

The expected transfer of power could have unpredictable consequences in the nation, he warned, during a news conference with his US counterpart, Robert Gates, at the Pentagon.

Gates, the US defence secretary, said it remains to be seen whether a change of leadership will lead to change in the country.

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