Seeing a river of red wine flowing might sound like a dream to some, but it turned into a bittersweet reality for São Lorenco de Bairro, a small town in Portugal. A colossal spill unleashed 600,000 gallons of red wine, flooding the streets of the idyllic village and creating a 'wine river', much to the surprise of its residents. 

The Unusual Flooding 

The incident occurred when two storage tanks owned by Levira Distillery burst, causing a massive outpour of red wine. Turning the steep hill, around which the town is situated, into a red carpet, the deluge swiftly swept through the streets. It is reported that an amount ample enough to fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool was lost in the spillage. 

The astounding quantity of wine that gushed out was enough to trigger an environmental alert, though no injuries or physical damages were reported. Even found its way into a cellar, states Portuguese newspaper Diário de Coimbra.

Wine

Environmental Alert and Quick Response 

The Anadia Fire Department, assisted by Levira Distillery, immediately sprung into action, trying to prevent the wine from spilling into the nearby Certima River that could potentially cause significant contamination. An environmental alert was promptly issued in response to the massive spill. 

  • Levira Distillery, the unfortunate epicenter of this incident, took the responsibility of the spill wholeheartedly. In a statement, Levira conveyed its commitment to making amends for the damages, stating that it "assumes full responsibility for the costs associated with cleaning and repairing the damage, having teams do so immediately. We are committed to resolving this situation as quickly as possible."
  • In an interesting turn of events, Tahir Imran Mian, a social media user, added a light-hearted chuckle amidst the unique catastrophe. His humorous take, "When they said to drown your sorrows I didn’t know that will happen one day." went viral alongside the video clip of the incident.

Treatment of Wine-Soiled Ground 

USA Today reported that Levira Distillery also made arrangements for treating the wine-soaked soil. The compromised soil will be transported to a specific treatment facility to restore it to its normal state. 

Undoubtedly, this incident gave the picturesque village of São Lorenco de Bairro a place in global news, proving once again that fact is sometimes stranger than fiction. 

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