Slurry tank explodes in Dutch town, drenching street and cars in foul-smelling waste
A massive cleanup operation was launched Friday afternoon in Son en Breugel after a slurry tank exploded on Planetenlaan, covering the street, nearby vehicles, and a roundabout in foul-smelling black liquid. The incident occurred around 3 p.m., when the tank suddenly burst and shot a fountain of manure several meters into the air, according to witnesses. "It smelled strongly of excrement, and the black slurry sprayed everywhere," one eyewitness told Omroep Brabant.
While the exact volume of the spill has not been confirmed, comparable tankers typically carry around 20,000 liters of manure. By the time another tanker arrived to pump out the remaining contents, the original tank was nearly empty.
The incident left not only the street and roundabout coated in sludge, but also multiple cars. Some vehicles drove through the manure before authorities could cordon off the area, spreading the mess further through the surrounding streets.
Two cars were so heavily covered that firefighters were called to hose them down. Several trucks that had been parked in the street were also splashed with the slurry and had to be cleaned before they could continue their journeys.
The cleanup operation continued into the evening. By approximately 6:30 p.m., firefighters had finished rinsing down the area. Because the spill involved plant-based manure, authorities determined it was safe to allow the material to flow into the sewer system.
