HUNGARY'S top investigative agencyyesterday opened a criminal probe into the toxic sludge flood while the European Union and environmental groups warned the disaster could have long-term consequences for countries along the Danube River.

Hundreds of people had to be evacuated after a gigantic sludge reservoir burst on Monday at a metals plant in Ajka, a town 160 kilometers southwest of Budapest, the capital. The torrent inundated homes, swept cars off roads, damaged bridges and disgorging an estimated 1 million cubic meters of toxic waste onto several nearby towns.

At least four people were killed, three were missing, and 120 were injured.

Police spokeswoman Monika Benyi told The Associated Press that the decision by National Police Chief Jozsef Hatala to take over the probe reflected the importance and the complexity of the sludge disaster.

Benyi said a criminal case had been opened into possible on-the-job carelessness.

The huge reservoir was no longer leaking yesterday but a triple-tiered protective wall was being built around the reservoir's damaged area. Interior Minister Sandor Pinter said guards have been posted at the site ready to warn of any new emergency.

Emergency workers and construction crews in hazmat gear were sweeping through the hardest-hit Hungarian towns yesterday, to clear roads and homes coated by thick red sludge and caustic muddy water.

In Brussels, the EU said it feared the toxic flood could turn into an ecological disaster for six nations - those down river from Hungary along the mighty Danube - and said it stood ready to offer help.

"This is a serious environmental problem," EU spokesman Joe Hennon said.

"We are concerned, not just for the environment in Hungary, but this could potentially cross borders."

In Kolontar, the town nearest to the plant, the military built a pontoon bridge across a toxic stream so residents could briefly return to their homes and rescuebelongings.

• agency [´eidʒənsi] n.代理商；机构；代理 (初中英语单词)
• yesterday [´jestədi] n.&ad.昨天；前不久 (初中英语单词)
• criminal [´kriminəl] a.犯罪的 n.罪犯 (初中英语单词)
• european [juərə´pi:ən] a.欧洲的 n.欧洲人 (初中英语单词)
• disaster [di´zɑ:stə] n.灾难，不幸 (初中英语单词)
• missing [´misiŋ] a.缺掉的；失踪的 (初中英语单词)
• interior [in´tiəriə] n.&a.内部地(的) (初中英语单词)
• minister [´ministə] n.部长；大臣 v.伺候 (初中英语单词)
• construction [kən´strʌkʃən] n.建设；修建；结构 (初中英语单词)
• stream [stri:m] n.河 vi.流出；飘扬 (初中英语单词)
• briefly [´bri:fli] ad.简短地；简略地 (初中英语单词)
• rescue [´reskju:] vt.&n.救援；挽救 (初中英语单词)
• gigantic [dʒai´gæntik] a.巨大的 (高中英语单词)
• southwest [,sauθ´west] n.&a.西南(方)(的) (高中英语单词)
• torrent [´tɔrənt] n.奔流，激流，洪流；迸发 (高中英语单词)
• emergency [i´mə:dʒənsi] n.事变；紧急关头 (高中英语单词)
• sweeping [´swi:piŋ] a.掠过的 n.扫除；清除 (高中英语单词)
• mighty [´maiti] a.强有力的 ad.很 (高中英语单词)
• concerned [kən´sə:nd] a.有关的；担心的 (高中英语单词)
• environment [in´vaiərənmənt] n.郊区；周围；条件 (高中英语单词)
• danube [´dænju:b] n.多瑙河 (英语四级单词)
• reservoir [´rezəvwɑ:] n.水库；蓄水池 (英语四级单词)
• carelessness [kɛəlisnis] n.粗心；漫不经心 (英语四级单词)
• protective [prə´tektiv] a.防护的；保护贸易的 (英语四级单词)
• brussels [´brʌslz] n.布鲁塞尔 (英语四级单词)
• bridge [bridʒ] n.桥(梁)；鼻梁；桥牌 (英语四级单词)
• belongings [bi´lɔŋiŋz] n.所有物；行李 (英语四级单词)
• hungary [´hʌŋgəri] n.匈牙利 (英语六级单词)
• spokesman [´spəuksmən] n.发言人 (英语六级单词)