Director of toxic sludge firm arrested

POLICE have detained the director of the aluminum company responsible for a flood of caustic red sludge that killed eight people when it burst from its reservoir last week.

Police said they were questioning managing director Zoltan Bakonyi on suspicion of public endangerment and environmental damage.

Prime Minister Viktor Orban told parliament that the government wanted to take over MAL Rt, the Hungarian Aluminum Production and Trade Company, because the safe restart of production at the alumina plant was needed to save the jobs of thousands of workers.