Antique shop spills one-quarter pint of hazardous mercury forcing a lockdown of village

RT
Thu, 22 Oct 2015 16:14 UTC

Police have lifted a 75 meter cordon in Ely, southeast England, after emergency services cleared up a hazardous mercury spillage. Residents were advised to stay inside with windows and doors closed while the cordon was in place.

A 1/4 pint of mercury was spilled inside an antique shop on Downham Road, according to local news reports. The substance is poisonous and highly dangerous when inhaled.

Police placed a 75 meter cordon around the area, which remained in place for much of the afternoon.

Chemical spillage in Ely - people advised to stay inside until further notice https://t.co/qehAQ7p6pS
— Cambs police (@CambsCops) October 22, 2015

The cordon incorporated Downham Road, West Fen Road and Chapel Street, according to Cambridgeshire Fire & Rescue. Residents were urged to avoid the area.

Schools in the area were lockdown while the incident was cleared up, with no children allowed in or out, according to Cambridgeshire Constabulary's Facebook page.

Crews are currently at the scene of an incident at Downham Road in Ely involving a mercury spillage. Residents are asked to avoid the area
— Cambs Fire & Rescue (@cambsfrs) October 22, 2015

Comment: What were the owners of this establishment thinking by keeping such a hazardous substance in the shop?

Reader Comments

HashAttack2 · 2015-10-22T16:36:28Z

Could have been a barometer that broke

I was handed down an old chemistry set when I was a kid ... I had strips of magnesium and a flask of mercury - maybe not the best toy for a 10 year old

Nap · 2015-10-22T17:10:11Z

People need to have respect-

We do a disservice when we demonize and distort the danger of certain materials. These materials are a part of the environment in which we live and they have many uses. We need to focus on pointing out the potential hazards of material without turning them into the boogieman. People need to know how to handle the material in manner with techniques for cleaning up spills. Instead our reaction has become totally blown out of proportion to potential dangers. We treat materials like this like we use to propagandize the dangers of marijuana. How are we to achieve credibility with the public if we are not honest and truthful with them.

Mandatory Intellectomy · 2015-10-22T18:45:26Z

"The substance is poisonous and highly dangerous when inhaled."
Strange. I'm sure if a corporation had spilled a ton of it, it would be "perfectly safe" and the police would be there only to tell the people to "move along" because "nothing to see here".

IncenDiary · 2015-10-22T19:24:24Z

Brilliant, thanks. Shared :D

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Antique shop spills one-quarter pint of hazardous mercury forcing a lockdown of village

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