Beachy Head evacuated after ‘unknown chemical haze’ injures up to 50 people.

a reply to: TJames

Whatever bro, I jump off 15,000 ft cliffs like every other weekend.

originally posted by: TJames

originally posted by: Violater1
Horrifically, it takes about 12 seconds to go splat.

No it doesn't.

My mistake, 5.75 seconds.
Still horrific, no?

a reply to: Violater1

I used to cliff jump when I was younger, it seems like the 60 footers took about 2-3 seconds, and if your arms weren't at your sides, it would hurt bad.

originally posted by: ColdWisdom
Chemical weapons testing?

My first thought was "substance dumped by vessel at sea".

originally posted by: Mandroid7
a reply to: TJames

Whatever bro, I jump off 15,000 ft cliffs like every other weekend.

It would take me the two weeks to climb the mountain to get to the jumpsite. Oh wait, add two years just to convince me to climb that hill.

It seems to me it would have to be in a gassious form to make a cloud that big, otherwise the clorine would just get absorbed into the water and not much would go into the fog.

a reply to: RoScoLaz5

Cthulhu.
Well...
May-be not.



Watched a few vessels and man, there's heavy traffic with tons of chemical tankers underway. Hundrets of thousands of tons, actually. Kinda scary if you think about it.

a reply to: Mandroid7

And?

a reply to: Violater1

Falling to ones death is presumably always horrific.

I wonder if those who created the TV show "The Mist" knew something in advance

originally posted by: NoCorruptionAllowed
I wonder if those who created the TV show "The Mist" knew something in advance

You do know that the t.v. series is based off the Steven King novella from 1980 and also from and excellent movie in the early 2k's..

Just saying

originally posted by: opethPA

originally posted by: NoCorruptionAllowed
I wonder if those who created the TV show "The Mist" knew something in advance

You do know that the t.v. series is based off the Steven King novella from 1980 and also from and excellent movie in the early 2k's..

Just saying

Yes and the TV show just began season 1 a few weeks ago.

originally posted by: PhyllidaDavenport
a reply to: TJames

Quite
As much as I appreciated our occasional English sunshine I'd be off that beach in seconds....why anyone would stick around to get their eyes burnt out is beyond me

A hazy cloud would not be unusual, but you can hear some chance remarks, and it's looks like they are just being affected, some are moving already.

a reply to: RoScoLaz5

North korea.... i blaim them.

Latest is over 50 people are being treated for breathing difficulties sore eyes and noses
Chlorine cloud now heading towards Hastings with emergency services still baffled as to the cause

And here's a pic of lovely Beachy Head for those that dont know the place a very popular tourist area since Victorian times and as has been noted above, a super little place to practice your flying skills (or lack thereof )

a reply to: TJames
I always thought it was the stopping part that was horrific ... the falling looks kinda peacefull

I cant belive people are sitting therre watching this ... and just as shocked no one is trying to shoe them away

I think theres a cholrine that dose evap out of water ... theres a whole lot more than sodium chloride some made with the intent to evap into gas for sanitization. But i have never seen it from a gas cloude would be a whole lot of sanitizer

a reply to: PhyllidaDavenport

So wait, which direction is Hastings in, related to where the cloud originated? I work with hazordus chemicals, mostly various forms of chlorine, and acids, as well as other oxidizers, I've been thinking that it's very odd that the cloud didn't dissipate before hitting land to begin with. Did it go up that cliff too?? I've been gassed out by chlorine more times than I can count, it's not uncommon for it to happen in small cramped spaces. But it's usually gone in a minute or so, some times less, and that's in enclosed areas. They better start air dropping Sodium Solfide to neutralize it!
Any reports as to an estimated size, more specifically length?

ETA

originally posted by: markovian
a reply to: TJames

I think theres a cholrine that dose evap out of water ... theres a whole lot more than sodium chloride some made with the intent to evap into gas for sanitization. But i have never seen it from a gas cloude would be a whole lot of sanitizer

It requires an electrical charge to separate the chlorine from the sodium. As another poster said, lightning could technically cause it, but it would need to be a hell of a lot of it.

Also worth noting is that both heat, and UV light break down chlorine very quickly. Adding to the "it should have dissipated quickly" statement.

Chlorine doesn't occur freely in nature because it is so incredibly reactive. So this cloud definitely has an artificial source. There aren't any rigs or drilling operations in the area, what with Eastbourne being more or less smack bang on the narrowest bit of the English channel and hence in a busy shipping area.

But to my mind, that proximity to the most convenient crossing point between England and France suggests a probable solution.

This is chemical weaponry, dating from WWI when such chemicals were deployed in large quantities on the battlefields of France and Belgium. It was lost or dumped at sea, and has just breached. Probably due to salt-water corrosion finally eating through the containment.

This sort of thing happens fairly often in Britain, even so many decades after either World War, although admittedly it usually involves conventional munitions. Probably the best known example is the SS Richard Montgomery, a munitions ship that sank in the Thames estuary in 1944. It was carrying around 1.5 kt of explosives, which are still considered viable today. If/when the Montgomery goes up, it will wipe out quite a large surrounding area with blast and mini-tsunami.

originally posted by: MDpvc Any reports as to an estimated size, more specifically length?

i haven't spotted anything definitive reported yet, size and spread-wise.

a reply to: RomeByFire

Unlikely, in the past the MOD has performed experiment's upon the British population spraying chemical's and pathogen's into the air to monitor the spread of symptom's through the British population.
Ship's routinely illegally dump toxic cargo which can of course then react with sea water so if dead fish turn up in the area then that is a likelihood and Pteridine suggested another good one, not the most probable but definitely possible.