The 20-liter cans, colored blue or gray, contain sulfuric acid, a highly corrosive industrial chemical.

According to authorities, this substance can cause deep burns upon skin contact, severe eye damage leading to blindness, and acid vapor can irritate the respiratory tract, causing coughing, difficulty breathing, and potentially pulmonary edema. When reacting with water, the acid generates significant heat and can easily splash, causing severe burns. If ingested, H₂SO₄ destroys the lining of the mouth and digestive system, posing a life threat.

Identifying the sulfuric acid cans swept away by floods. Photo: Dak Lak Police

Police urge residents who find these drifting chemical cans to maintain a distance, avoid prying open their lids, and immediately report them to local authorities for safe collection and disposal.

Over the past two days, heavy rains caused the Ba River in Dak Lak to exceed alert level 3, approaching its historical peak from 1993. This resulted in the flooding of over 8,500 homes, with many submerged up to their roofs, forcing residents to climb onto rooftops to await rescue. More than 22 communes across the province are in very high-risk landslide and flash flood warning zones. Police, military, and militia forces were urgently mobilized to rescue isolated areas and assist with resident evacuations. By noon on 20/11, the floods had claimed 11 lives and left 4 people missing in the area.

Tran Hoa