Central China's Hubei Province is to launch a safety overhaul
of its hazardous chemical industry following Wednesday's ammonia
leak that killed one person, left six others ill and forced the
evacuation of 20,000 people from their hoes.
The overhaul will focus on pressure vessels, pressure pipes and
facilities to treat contaminated water, which have been blamed for
the liquid gas leak, according to a circular issued on Friday by
the Hubei Provincial Administration of Work Safety.
The accident occurred around 7:50 a.m. on Wednesday in a
nitrogen fertilizer factory in Dawu County when an ammonia pipe
broke.
A factory worker died at the site. Those taken ill included
three factory workers, a fire fighter, a 16-year-old middle school
student who was on her way to school at the time, and a pregnant
woman in a nearby village.
All are in stable condition and receiving treatment in a local
hospital.
The 20,000 residents who were evacuated have returned to their
homes, local authorities have said.
About 10 tons of ammonia gas leaked, and fire fighters sprayed
water into the air in shifts to dissipate the gas. However, the
water flowed directly into the Huanhe River, where the factory is
located, resulting in temporary high levels of ammonia and nitrogen
in the river and threatening the safety of water use
downstream.
The local government has discharged water from two reservoirs
upstream to dilute the river water.
By Wednesday afternoon, the contents of ammonia and nitrogen in
the Huanhe River had dropped, local environment authorities have
said.
(Xinhua News Agency November 4, 2006)
