Obama addresses 'terrible tragedy' of Flint water crisis while in Michigan

President says he would be devastated if his children's health was jeopardized, in reference to contamination that has put health of tens of thousands at risk

Barack Obama's speech in Detroit on Wednesday was intended to be a triumphant celebration of the renaissance of an automobile industry once on the brink of collapse. But the president's successful bailout of American carmakers and the subsequent revival of Michigan's most important industry was eclipsed by a nearby civic emergency: a water crisis in Flint that has threatened the health of tens of thousands of people.

Related: Flint's water crisis: what went wrong