11 October 2010 Last updated at 09:21 ET
There are fears of a second rupture of the alumina plant's reservoir
Hungary toxic spill boss arrested (BBC News)
There are fears of a second rupture of the alumina plant's reservoirThe chief executive of the industrial plant at the centre of the toxic sludge spill in Hungary has been taken in for questioning by police.
The arrest of Zoltan Bakonyi was announced by the PM Viktor Orban.
Mr Orban also said the company would be temporarily nationalised and that those responsible for the disaster should bear the financial consequences.
Seven people have so far died from the 4 October spill near Ajka in the west of the country.
About 150 people were also injured after up to 700,000 cubic metres (24.7m cu ft) of toxic by-product from the production of alumina burst from a storage reservoir.
Alumina, used in the production of aluminium, is made from the ore bauxite.
EU helpEngineers and disaster relief workers, aided by volunteers, have been racing to finish an emergency dam to contain an expected second spill from the reservoir.
EU experts are helping the Hungarians with the emergency dam, as well as assessing the longer-term impact on the ground water and the soil of the spill.
They are also examining the potential airborne health hazard posed by the mud drying out.
Speaking to parliament, Prime Minister Orban said those affected by the spill must be compensated, jobs at the alumina plant must be preserved, those responsible for the spill should be held accountable and other potentially hazardous industrial sites must be identified.
He said those responsible for the disaster should bear the financial consequences, not the Hungarian taxpayer.
"We need to hold the company responsible for the red sludge spill under state control and its assets under state closure until all of these four tasks are handled," he said.
He said a state commissioner would take control of the company, MAL Hungarian Aluminium, and manage its assets.
A team of experts from the European Union is on the scene helping to assess the contamination to the region's ground water and soil. They are also examining the potential airborne hazard as the toxic mud dries out.
Hungary had requested the assistance of the EU in dealing with the aftermath of the spill.
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