--- Lepre de București Cum un caz medical izolat a devenit încă o perdea de fum într-o țară obosită de propriile crize --- 1. Lead — Cazul de la Cluj și isteria importată în București În ultimele zile, România a fost lovită de o „știre-bombă”: lepra la Cluj. Un caz izolat, tratabil, confirmat la o femeie care lucra într-un salon SPA. Medical vorbind, nimic spectaculos. Dar politic și mediatic, parcă a pornit Apocalipsa: declarații peste declarații, comunicate urgente, miniștri și purtători de cuvânt ieșind la rampă ca și cum ar fi izbucnit o epidemie în centrul orașului. Și nu doar atât — cazul a fost folosit drept muniție într-un climat deja încărcat: proteste, tensiuni pe justiție, scandaluri nerezolvate, demisii fără efect și, în curând, creșteri masive de taxe. În tot acest zgomot, lepra devine doar un titlu util. Restul se joacă în culise. --- 2. Ce este lepra — și ce NU este Lepra, sau boala Hansen , este o infecție bacteriană rară și lentă, care se transmite greu. Nu sare...
📍 Location: Northwest Province, Cameroon
🗓️ Date of tragedy: August 21, 1986
🌋 Type of lake: Volcanic crater lake (formed in a maar – a crater created by explosive magma–water interaction)
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🧪 What Is Lake Nyos?
Lake Nyos appears to be a peaceful body of water surrounded by lush tropical hills. But beneath its calm surface lay a natural time bomb. The lake sits above an active magma chamber, which constantly releases carbon dioxide (CO₂) into the water. Usually, this gas remains dissolved in the lake’s deep layers. However, if disturbed, it can erupt violently in a rare phenomenon called a "limnic eruption."
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😱 What Happened on August 21, 1986?
Without warning, Lake Nyos erupted that night, releasing between 100,000 and 300,000 tons of CO₂. The gas surged up in a dense, cold, invisible cloud that rolled down the surrounding hills, traveling up to 25 km (15 miles) from the lake.
The result:
1,746 people died of asphyxiation in nearby villages (Nyos, Kam, Cha, and Subum)
Over 3,500 animals were found dead
The air became unbreathable across a 20-kilometer radius
Some survivors said they went to bed as usual and woke up surrounded by bodies, gasping for breath, their limbs numb and heavy.
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🔍 How Was This Possible?
The scientific explanation is both rare and terrifying:
CO₂ had accumulated at the bottom of the lake over time, trapped by thermal layering.
A landslide, minor earthquake, or sudden pressure change likely triggered the explosive degassing.
The heavy gas (CO₂ is denser than air) stayed close to the ground, silently “drowning” everything in its path.
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🛠️ What Was Done to Prevent Another Disaster?
After the tragedy, Cameroonian authorities and international scientists installed degassing systems – vertical pipes designed to safely release the CO₂ from deep within the lake.
👉 These pipes work by drawing water from the depths; the built-up gas pressure propels it upward like a fountain, allowing CO₂ to escape slowly and safely.
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⚠️ Other Similar Lakes
Lake Monoun (Cameroon) – experienced a smaller limnic eruption in 1984 (37 deaths)
Lake Kivu (on the Rwanda–DR Congo border) – much larger than Nyos and holds billions of cubic meters of gas; considered a ticking time bomb
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📌 Curiosities
The "limnic eruption" phenomenon was unknown to science until 1986.
CO₂ pressure in Lake Nyos had been silently building up for thousands of years.
People have slowly returned to the area, though many refuse to live near the lake again.
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