英國第二大城伯明翰自3月11日爆發垃圾車工人罷工以來,街頭垃圾堆積已達17萬噸。街頭出現「如貓般大」的老鼠四處流竄,更有清潔工人在清理垃圾時遭老鼠追逐的驚悚畫面在網絡流傳。
Happy to report that Birmingham is now filled with trash, rats, and arabs. The city is bankrupt, the trash collectors have been on strike a full month, and the city is piled high with garbage.
— Josh (@XJosh) April 9, 2025
Why not just drive it to the dump yourself? Illegal in the UK. 12 trips per year max. pic.twitter.com/g6qxayF6qp
罷工月餘 城市陷垃圾危機
這場罷工行動已持續近一個月,導致伯明翰這座百萬人口城市的垃圾處理系統陷入癱瘓。隨著氣溫回升至攝氏21度,堆積的垃圾不僅散發惡臭,更成為老鼠繁殖的溫床。
Cat-sized rats have overrun Birmingham, UK, due to a garbage collectors' strike
— Based & Viral (@ViralBased) April 6, 2025
In just the past week, 17 tons of waste have gone uncollected across the city, with garbage piles reaching up to five meters high in some areas. Residents are being forced to pay hundreds of pounds… pic.twitter.com/qqxiyriswg
鼠患影片震驚網絡
一段在社交媒體瘋傳的影片顯示,數名清潔工人在處理堆積如山的垃圾時,突然遭多隻老鼠圍攻。畫面中可見老鼠在垃圾堆中靈活穿梭,甚至追趕工作人員,嚇得眾人倉皇逃離現場。當地居民表示,這些老鼠體型異常龐大,「有些甚至和貓一樣大」。
CCTV footage shows rats chasing clean-up workers as they try to collect rubbish in Birmingham 🐀 pic.twitter.com/Fz7EufTmur
— Sky News (@SkyNews) April 4, 2025
公共衛生危機浮現
鼠患可能引發鈎端螺旋體病傳播風險。這種由鈎端螺旋體細菌引起的疾病,可通過老鼠尿液污染的水或土壤傳播給人類,嚴重時可能導致腎衰竭、腦膜炎甚至死亡。伯明翰曾在2017年經歷類似罷工,當時垃圾危機持續了7周才得以解決。

AP圖片
市民生活受嚴重影響
當地居民抱怨,垃圾堆積不僅影響市容,更對日常生活造成極大困擾。伯明翰Ladywood區居民Sarah Wilkins表示:「我們現在連窗戶都不敢開,臭味實在太可怕了(The smell makes me keep windows closed all day)。」商家則擔心鼠患會影響生意,呼籲當局盡快解決問題。