Hungary has asked the EU for help limit the spread of the toxic red sludge that threatens to pollute the Danube River, European Voice has reported.

Late Thursday, Hungarian officials "identified an immediate need" for five experts to advise local authorities how to stop further flow of the sludge and decontaminate the affected areas.

The Monitoring and Information Center, operated by the EC in Brussels, has informed the 31 participating states in the EU Civil Protection Mechanism for the request for help.

Kristalina Georgieva, the Bulgarian EU Commissioner responsible for crisis response, has stated that the situation could become an "environmental catastrophe." She has warned that the spill could threaten countries downstream from Hungary, including Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia and Croatia.

"Disasters like this do not stop at national borders and a combined European response can help deliver the most effective assistance possible," Georgieva said, as cited by the BBC.

On Monday, about 600,000-700,000 cu m of chemical sludge escaped from the Ajkai Timfoldgyar plant, when a reservoir of an alumina plant broke and flooded some villages with toxic red mud.

The sludge, which is said to contain caustic material and to be toxic if ingested, has reached the Marcal River, which flows into the River Raba, which empties into the Danube, the CNN reported.

Two children, aged 1 and 3, an elderly woman and a 35-year-old man have died and 6 people went missing in the disaster, which occurred 160 km west of Budapest, near the town of Ajka, the CNN has reported.

Three Hungarian counties have announced state of emergency - Veszprem, Gyor-Moson-Sopron and Vas.

Troops in protected gear have been helping clean up the spill. Teams for chemical protection, firefighters and soldiers have been evacuating the area of the accident.

390 residents had to be temporarily relocated and 110 had to be rescued from the flooded villages.

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