Sharp smell of fruit mistaken for gas leak causes panic – News

The pungent smell of rotten durian fruit in an Australian university library was mistakenly thought to be a gas leak, leading to the evacuation of the building.
Special teams wearing masks searched the campus library of the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology on Saturday, but found only rotting durian in a cupboard.
About 600 employees and students had evacuated the building.
A spokesman for the Metropolitan Fire Brigade said the smell had disturbed staff and students as it had penetrated the air conditioning system.

Durian is a tropical fruit known for its strong smell and is often banned from hotel rooms and public transportation throughout Southeast Asia.