Moscow Power Outage
May 25, 2005 and its implications

Dear Geoff:

Did you hear of the so called "system - or man-caused - catastrophe" in Moscow of yesterday (May 25, 2005)? Because of the serious faults with the electricity, approximately half of Moscow happened to be 'out of order' (without power).

Metro-trains stopped running. Many thousands of people spent 3-4 hours in the train carriages without light and fresh air. Later they were evacuated by rescuers leading them in darkness in the tunnels up to nearest stations.

Hundreds of bus-trolley-tramcar routes stopped or were traffic-jammed because of the lack of working traffic lights. Millions of people spent hours at the various public transportation stops under the open sun at the temperature over 32° Celsius (90° Fahrenheit), which is very hot for Russia. Stores (shops) were closed, food-refrigerators melted, light at houses were out, water-pumps stopped, etc., etc.

There was an air venting of nitrogen from one of the plants. The nitrogen cloud traveled over Moscow with the potential death-threat to the multitudes if it descended. But finally it got an upward air current, came up high and was dispersed. There were sewage-water releases into the Moscow River from several sewage systems, which now causes threat to those who will come in contact with this water.

The pollution of the air is 2-4 times above the max. allowable level these days and is expected to be permanent because of the hot and arid Summer of 2005. Keep in mind, that the "Russian max. alowable level" of air-water pollution is several times higher in comparison to the European-American standards. Moscow and its region are found this year to be the most critical (out of all the Russian regions) in terms of the malaria epidemic.

Geoff, I believe, there are still more troubles to trouble us in the near future. Doesn't it remind you (along with other disasters in the near past) of the plagues sent upon Egypt?

Yours in His mercy,

Moscow Colleague (name withheld at his request)

(NOTE: In subsequent emails, it was determined that no immediate injuries resulted to any of the brethren in the Moscow congregation, though there is a concern about the future epidemics that may be traced back to this incident.)

Links to news reports on this:

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/05/25/world/main697682.shtml

http://www.able2know.com/forums/about52346.html

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1410130/posts