Kyrgyzstan fair sparks outrage after visitors invited to touch mercury
The Independence Day fair in Jalal-Abad, Kyrgyzstan, turned into a scandal after the Khaidarkan mercury plant’s booth invited attendees to touch liquid mercury with their bare hands.
A video showing people touching the toxic liquid metal went viral. Mercury is extremely dangerous: its vapors cause poisoning, especially in children.
Actor Ramazan Amirgaliyev called the incident atrocious, emphasizing that mercury destroys the nervous system and organs, with the consequences appearing only years later.
«This situation shows the abyss in which 21st-century education finds itself not only in Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Central Asia, but throughout the CIS. Adults and children alike lack even the most basic knowledge of chemistry,» Amirgaliyev said.
Social media users also condemned the organizers for irresponsibility and demanded explanations.
