Death Fog 死亡迷霧

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By Michelle Adams 

On August 21, 1986, nearly 2,000 people in a small corner of Cameroon died in one night. Birds fell from the sky, and cattle dropped dead in the fields. The few survivors from the area had strange burns on their skin and described seeing a fog rolling off the lake. What was this death fog, and could it happen again?

 

Scientists from all over the world assembled in the area to discover what caused this tragedy. By examining the bodies and talking with survivors, many of the scientists jumped to the conclusion that a volcanic eruption was the cause. After all, the whole area is coved with old volcanic craters which now hold lakes. They thought that the volcano under nearby Lake Nyos erupted and pushed super-hot, deadly gas into the surrounding villages.

 

One scientist, George Kling, was not convinced. He pointed out that the lake, with a smooth bottom and cold water, showed no sign of recent volcanic activity. In addition, this situation was eerily familiar. He remembered that a similar incident happened two years earlier and only ninety-seven kilometers away. Were the Lake Nyos villagers victims of the same killer?   

To be continued......

 
survivors (n.)a person who continues to live, despite nearly dying
assemble (v.)to come together in a single place or bring parts together in a single group
surround (v.)to be everywhere around something
(surrounding (adj.))
convince (v.)to persuade someone or make them certainincident (n.)an event which is either unpleasant or unusual



Reference:
Live互動英語雜誌 3月號

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