8 Volcanic Eruption

In north-west Cameroon in August 1986， there was a volcanic
eruption which devastated the area． At least 1，200 people were
killed and many were left seriously ill with burns and
respiratory infections． Nobody could escape because there was
no warning， just a loud explosion followed by a terrible smell
like that of rotten eggs， and within a short time the entire
area around Lake Nios， which was the site of the eruption， was
covered in smokes．

When help came to the villages on the shores of the lake，men，
women， children and animals were found dead： some were outside
their huts， some still in bed；others were in the fields or on
the village road． It was as if a neutron bomb had exploded
destroying nothing but killing all life． The disaster was the
worst incident of its kind and the second time such a disaster
had stuck this West African nation．



volcanic ? 火山的
eruption ? 爆发
devastate 破坏，摧毁
respiratory ? 呼吸的
infection ? 感染
explosion ? 爆炸
rotten ? 恶臭的，腐烂的
neutron bomb 中子弹
disaster ? 灾难



火山爆发
1986年8月，在喀麦隆西北部发生了火山爆发，灾害摧毁了整个地区。至少1200人丧生，许多人严重烧伤，感染呼吸道疾病。因为没有警告，没有人能够逃脱。一声巨大的爆炸声后就是一股难闻的臭鸡蛋的味道，短时间内Nios湖周围的整个地区，也就是火山爆发的地方，淹没在烟雾中。

当救援人员赶到湖边的村庄时，男男女女，孩子和动物都已经死亡了： 一些在他们的小屋里，一些还躺在床上，另一些在田野里或是在村里的路上。这好像是一次中子炸弹爆炸，什么也没有毁坏但却杀死了所有生命。这场灾难是这个西非国家遭受的最严重的一次火山爆发，也是这个国家所遭受的第二次大灾难。