Security

If it smells like rotten eggs, it might be a bomb

Posted by Eric Mu, July 18, 2008 6:38 PM

Police training for a terrorist attack

Yesterday, the Public Security Ministry released a Citizen's Anti-terrorist Handbook (公民防范恐怖袭击手册) which teaches people how to protect themselves in the event of a terrorist attack.

The handbook describes 39 potential terror scenarios including explosion, arson, gunshot, hijacking, bio attack, nuclear attack, and provides safety advice for each scenerio. Below is a translation of some details of the handbook from today's Beijing News.

When attempting to identify explosives, citizens should watch, listen, and sniff, but never touch. If the suspicious item smells like rotten eggs, it could be gun powder; if it smells like ammonia, it is possibly Ammonium Nitrate explosives.
What to do if you are kidnapped by terrorists? Stay calm; do not resist; do not stare the kidnapper in the eyes; do not talk; act slowly; try your best to conceal any communication devices; try to count the number of terrorists and identify their ringleader. When the police assault, stay on the ground.

Links and Sources

The Beijing News via sina (Chinese): The smelly stuff could be a bomb

Tags for this entry:

security,
terrorist,

There are currently 8 Comments for If it smells like rotten eggs, it might be a bomb.

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Comments on If it smells like rotten eggs, it might be a bomb

But what should we do if it smells like chou dofu?

Posted by: Chinamatt | July 18, 2008 7:24 PM

Wow, the word 坏蛋 gets a whole new & exciting meaning.

Posted by: Rachel | July 19, 2008 11:57 PM

I have a hard time believing that native Beijingers are bicycling around the capital with a small red anti-terrorist handbook trying to identify explosives.

However the kidnapping advice might come in handy for other situations, like if you're a petitioner from outside of the capital and Beijing authorities are trying to forcibly send you back to the provinces...

Telegraph

Posted by: Spelunker | July 20, 2008 7:32 AM

Never heard of gunpowder to smell like rotten eggs, esp these days when most projectile propellants probably use a negligible amount of sulfur. Must be the 5,000yr-old Chinese gunpowder recipe that does that that.

Man, the scare mongering running up to "the games" next month is ridiculous...

Posted by: Hunxuer | July 20, 2008 9:24 AM

lol...

Posted by: kaka | July 20, 2008 10:41 AM

All smallish Chinese provision stores in London smell like rottn eggs.Could they be Al Qaeda bomb fatories?!

Posted by: Jac | July 20, 2008 1:57 PM

and if it like a burning-cable, it might be what..?

Posted by: torasham | July 20, 2008 10:03 PM

I think all you guys have problem with logic.
It is mentioned "suspicious item smells like rotten eggs" might be bomb, but it dosnt mean "any item which smells like rotten eggs is the bomb".
Forget the security instructions from NYC after 911 about the bomb, toxit, anthra and gas?
When badmonthing China, illogic knows no boundary.

Posted by: hgao | July 21, 2008 12:04 PM