Accident at distillery sends 2,200,000 litres of red wine flowing through street

Millions of litres of wine flooded the street after a massive spill (Picture: CEN)

In the winelands of Portugal, even the industrial accidents have a touch of class.

That’s what the residents of São Lourenco do Bairro discovered yesterday, when a local distillery’s tanks burst and sent 2.2 million litres of red wine flooding along the road.

Video footage from the scene shows a mighty river of booze flowing down a steep hill as bewildered locals watch on.

Winemakers Levira Distillery had been due to bottle the product when their vats suddenly gave way on Sunday, spilling enough liquid to fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool.

But it wasn’t all rosy-cheeked fun – so much wine flooded the local area, it sparked an environmental alert.

The red tsunami had to be diverted before it contaminated the nearby Cértima River.

Local media reported the Anadia Fire Department managed to change its course and send it safely towards a field.

Nevertheless, Levira had to dredge the wine-soaked land to make sure it didn’t become a problem in the future.

The distillery said: ‘We assume full responsibility for the costs associated with cleaning and repairing the damage, having teams available to do so immediately.

‘We are committed to resolving this situation as quickly as possible.’

The basement of one house near the Levira site was flooded with wine, the fire department said, though it was unclear if the homeowner was annoyed or thrilled with the turn of events.

A similar incident struck the Bodegas Vitivinos winery in Villamalea, Spain, three years ago, though a mere 50,000 litres were released that time.

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It’ll take one massive cork to hold all of that back.