Dam of death

YUGOSLAV engineers are working desperately
to ease the pressure on
a damaged dam in
Montenegro, to prevent
the release of millions
of tonnes of toxic mining sludge into the
Danube and other
Balkan rivers. Senior
officials working on the
dam'say the impact
would be "disastrous as
it would poison the,
river, killing fish and other aquatic
life". The engineers have completed
a new support dam and are dredging another channel in the river
Tara as part of their efforts to avert
this ecological disaster.

The UN disaster relief agency in
Geneva has mobilised international
support and is coordinating relief
work. The agency contends, however, that the situation is still very
risky.