Chinese Factory Burned For 3 Hours Before Anyone Called Fire Dept.; No One Could See The Smoke

[hatrack]

A FACTORY fire in eastern China went unnoticed for three hours because of the thick smog that blanketed large stretches of the country this week, state media have said.

After firefighters in Zhejiang province were finally alerted to the blaze in the early hours of Monday they took 10 hours to extinguish the flames, which destroyed a large amount of furniture, the Xinhua news agency said.

"Because of the thick fog pervading the air at the time, the initial smoke and flames produced by the fire took an unexpected almost three hours to be discovered by nearby residents," Xinhua said.

The unusually dense air pollution across much of China this week reached levels dangerous to human health and prompted public criticism of the nation's breakneck development.

EDIT

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/world/factory-fire-went-unnoticed-for-3-hours-amid-china-smog/story-fnddckzi-1226554710072


People practice Tai Chi amid the smog in Fuyang city, Anhui province. Air pollution is a major problem in China due to the country's rapid industrialisation.


Cyclists travel on the road in Huaibei, in central China's Anhui province.

[hatrack]

1. Oh, yeah, bonus bit - PM 2.5 hit 993, which is almost 40X WHO's safe limit

Delhi's still going to have to work at it to bust that record!

[Warpy]

5. Delhi doesn't have a prayer

It's damned cold up in northeastern China in winter. People both heat and cook with blocks of compressed coal dust, about the filthiest fuel out there. They can't afford gas stoves and electric space heaters.

I remember how filthy things were here in the US when people still heated with coal, that grey cloud over every city every single morning, lowering to make it look like fog (but smelling incredibly foul) whenever there was an air inversion. I remember blowing my nose and having it come out black. Oh, yes.

This combined with the way they smoke over there will become a health crisis of the greatest magnitude ever seen. Beijing itself will likely become unlivable soon, the government relocating until thorium reactors are perfected along with renewable energy (they're working on both) and the coal plants can be mothballed and people can afford electricity.

[CanonRay]

2. The pics look other worldly

unfortunately, that crap is on our world. All that shit may blow out of Bejing, but it's still in our shared air. What are we doing to this poor planet.

[4_TN_TITANS]

7. Not just the air..

Imagine how much of that shit is settling into the Pacific and Arctic oceans. It will affect way more than just the Chinese. I personally believe this to be the cause of mercury levels in Pacific tuna and other fish.

[phantom power]

3. may I be the first to say: holy fucking shit

[arcane1]

4. It could be worse: at least those emissions aren't regulated!!

Imagine the horror! The inhumane stress on the job-creators!!!1

[dbackjon]

6. Look what glorious air having no EPA brings a forward thinking country like China

The United States should emulate them!!!

[Eagle_Eye]

8. But, but, I want my Lithium Ion batteries

I want an IPHONE and a big screen TV.

We should not import one item from a company overseas that does not manufacture to the same environmental standards that are required of companies in the United States. Fair trade should include pollution control. If the playing field was truly level, the United States would would be back at the top manufacturer in the world.