A relative proposition?

Cитуация еще чем была сложной: пена очаг обволакивала, но внутри-то был кислород, все горело, напоминая извержение вулкана - пена летела, и дажекапли металла...

Working with the previous phrase I find "еще чем" that I can't translate accuratеly. I think that its meaning is:
"The situation was difficult even by this:....." That's to say: "Cитуация ещë была сложной тем, что пена очаг обволакивала....."

The translation given in the book is:
What furthercomplicated the situation was that although the hotbed was enveloped in foam,there was still oxygen under the foam, and everything was burning. It lookedlike a volcano eruption - foam was flying and even drops of metal...
What do you think of it? Thank you.

"Cитуация еще чем была сложной : ..." = "What also (ещё) made the situation difficult was..."

I think the translation is OK.

My difficulty was with "чем" and if it was equivalent to "тем, что" пена очаг...Thank you.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by radomir

My difficulty was with "чем" and if it was equivalent to "тем, что" пена очаг...Thank you.

---

Here it is something like rhetoric question and then (after ":") an answer, with "тем, что" omitted.

Thank you.