It's all the fault of a lightning strike that shut down the plant. This is believed to be the cause of the miasma that spread through the air of Sarroch during the night, at least according to the official version released by Sarlux.
The Civic Committee for Environmental and Health Protection of Sarroch has once again reported yet another instance of potential pollution, having also trained a fixed camera on the Saras torches. During filming during the stormy hours, lightning can indeed be seen, immediately followed by an orange glow. However, the torches, considered responsible for the emissions, appeared to be already active.
"Yesterday evening, starting at 10:15 PM, an anomalous industrial event occurred in Sarroch's industrial complex, clearly visible from a great distance and accompanied by strong miasmas perceived in the residential area," the committee reports. The event "occurred in conjunction with a strong atmospheric disturbance and the activation of emergency systems (flares), which lasted for over two hours. What is of greatest concern is an objective and indisputable fact," the report continues: "No acoustic alarm signal (sirens) was activated, and no official warning or communication was issued to the population. Therefore, residents breathed in strong miasmas and subsequently a clear smell of gas, without knowing what was happening, without any behavioral guidance, and without any institutional information."
Information that arrived only many hours later: "During the night, a violent thunderstorm with electrocutions caused a power outage at the refinery. The blackout," Sarlux stated, "required the equipment to be safely deployed, resulting in the immediate and controlled activation of the flare safety system, as required by operating procedures. Staff are currently working on restarting the equipment, which is proceeding in complete safety."