Vienna has Gas

We all now know now that this is Karneval time in Germany. It's a major event celebrated by everyone throughout the country. The last thing the people want is a gas leak and unfortunately that's exactly what happened. On February 22 Viennas Landstraße experienced a gas leak. The ammonia gas was released from a refrigeration company and affected streets within a one-kilometer area and sending 40 people to the hospital to be treated for gas poisoning. There were a few neighboring concerts that either had the people kept inside or were canceled. The U3 U-Bahn line was also temporarily shut down.

This article caught my attention right away. A gas leak is a pretty big deal and the fact that it happened during Germany's biggest and most celebrated time of the year makes it an even bigger deal. The article didn't really go in to detail too much if the leak ruined some of the Karneval events but I'm sure it did put a damper on things. Not only is it bad that it happened during Germany's biggest parties, the leak also shut down the U-Bahn line. Having been to Europe I know how important the train systems are to the people over there. Trains for a lot of people are their main mode for transportation. To have the train line shut down, even if for a short period of time, probably messed up a lot of people’s days, not to mention waiting in train stations is not very fun.

I guess from me not being a gas leak expert, I was actually a little amazed at how many people responded to the gas leak. There were 60 policemen, 80 firemen, 40 rescue workers and all available chemistry specialists on hand at the gas leak. In my mind I keep comparing this gas leak and the reaction to it to the possibility of a gas leak happening during the Super Bowl or Mardi Gras in New Orleans, both major events in the US that many people attend and celebrate. Both would probably cause a panic just like the one in Vienna during Karneval.

http://www.austriantimes.at/news/General_News/2012-02-22/39692/Gas_leak_causes_chaos_on_carnival_evening