Some 2.2 million liters of red wine flooded the streets of São Lourenço do Bairro in Portugal on Monday, following an explosion at a wine storage facility.
Experience the extraordinary scene:
A swift, crimson river cascaded down a steep hill in this coastal Portuguese town as two distillery tanks suddenly gave way, transforming the entire area into a vibrant sea of red.
Was there damage?
The spill was of such magnitude that local authorities activated an environmental alert and had to reroute the wine to prevent contamination of the nearby Cértima River. The situation was resolved after determined efforts by the Anadia district fire department, successfully diverting the deluge away from the river, resulting in minimal damage.
A local council member informed the Jornal de Notícias that they successfully prevented the wine from spilling into a river, thereby averting an environmental catastrophe.
“We deeply regret the incident that occurred this morning,” the Destilaria Levira said in a post on its Facebook page on Sunday. “We want to express our sincere concern for the damage caused in general.” It said the causes of the rupture were being investigated and that it took full responsibility for the cleanup.