The noble durian, the smelliest, most misunderstood fruit, has done it again – this time leading to the mass evacuation of RMIT‘s library in Melbourne earlier today.
After an earlier evacuation that turned out to be a false alarm, New Academic Street and the library are now open. We apologise for any inconvenience caused to those on campus today.
— RMIT University (@RMIT) April 28, 2018
Approx 500 students and teachers were evacuated by Vic Police from the library following reports of a foul stench that some feared was caused by a dangerous gas leak – the building contains potentially dangerous chemicals.
It wasn’t. It was a durian, which firefighters in full-blown breathing apparatuses uncovered, rotting in a cupboard, its powerful stench permeating the building via the air-con.
The “biological hazard” will be removed and stored by the Environment Protection Authority.
Let’s all spare a second to pray for the students who resolved to spend their Saturday studying in the library, only to end up surrounded by stink lines, eying each other suspiciously to figure out who didn’t shower this morning/let out a rank one that doesn’t seem to be dissipating on its own.
The moral of this story? Plz do not eat in the library, your primary school librarian was right. And keep your stanky durians at home. May we suggest a bowl of durian + sticky rice + coconut milk? Delicious.
