This is What’s Trending Today…
Rescue officials in Poland are working quickly to clear one of the country’s highways. The roadway is covered with a sticky brown substance. It is blocking cars from both directions.
What is causing the mess? Milk chocolate.
The problems began early Wednesday, after a huge vehicle carrying many tons of liquid chocolate overturned. Chocolate spilled out. It spread across six lanes of Poland’s A2 highway.
The liquid chocolate solidified as it cooled, causing even more difficulties.
Tons of liquid milk chocolate are spilled and block six lanes on a highway after a truck transporting it overturned near Slupca, in western Poland, on Wednesday, May 9, 2018. (AP Photo)
The accident happened near the western Polish town of Slupca. Bogdan Kowalski is with the fire brigade of Slupca. He told the Associated Press that “the cooling chocolate is worse than snow.”
Videos published on social media showed rescuers and cleaners trying to move the sticky brown mess with a bulldozer.
The private Polish broadcaster TVN24 reported that the driver of the vehicle was taken to a hospital with a broken arm. The accident happened in the morning when there was little traffic. Nobody else was harmed.
The sticky situation became a trending topic on social media. Some people offered to help the cleanup workers…. by eating the chocolate themselves.
Marlene Kukawa is a media officer for Slupca police. She told The New York Times that rescue workers needed to remove the truck from the highway first. The cleanup, she said at the time “will take a few hours or more.”
She added that accidents are rare in this part of the A2 highway. And, she told The New York Times, she is sure the area has never experienced something quite like a huge chocolate spill.
And that’s What’s Trending Today.
The Associated Press reported this story. Ashley Thompson adapted it for Learning English, with additional materials from The New York Times. Hai Do was the editor.
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Words in This Story
lane – n. a part of road that is marked by painted lines and that is for a single line of vehicles
brigade – n. a group of people organized to act together
bulldozer – n. a powerful and heavy vehicle that has a large curved piece of metal at its front and that is used for moving dirt and rocks and pushing over trees and other structures