Postcards from Oz - AU Edition

At about 7.00 a.m. this morning  a fire broke out  on the storage grounds of a Krefeld fertilizer plant, only a few kilometers away from where I live, basically  the plant is situated just across the river.

So we've had quite an interesting day so far. Giant cloud of possibly poisonous smoke coming our way. Police cars driving down our road, making safety announcements and advising residents to keep doors and windows shut, and, if possible, to stay inside while the smoke was being tested for harmful substances.

While the fire is under control by now and a (very basic) all-clear was given sometime around noon, people are still advised to stay indoors. As I write this, white smoke is still hanging over the fields, almost foglike if it weren't for the smell, and the Uerdingen bridge across the Rhine is shrouded and closed to traffic.

I can't help but feel somewhat creeped, mostly because the road (basically just  a tarmac country lane) running past our house is so oddly quiet. Normally, at this time of day, there are always a handful of pedestrians and cyclists. People with prams, people with dogs, senior citizens enjoying a brief afternoon stroll to the nearby café.

Here's a German language article on the whole situation with several photos.