Thirteen of the 48 people poisoned by a chlorine spill on
Tuesday in Shanghai remain hospitalized, but the others have been
released.
The leak occurred at around 12:50 PM at the Gaoqiao
Petrochemical Company, a subsidiary of China Petrochemical
Corporation, in the Pudong New District. Workers were unloading a
tanker carrying liquid chlorine when the metal hose broke, spilling
200 kilograms of the chemical. It evaporated and wind blew it
toward the south.
The victims include workers and residents of the surrounding
area. All those injured were sent to the No. 7 People's Hospital
immediately for medical monitoring. The 13 still hospitalized
include four children.
An investigation is under way.
(Xinhua News Agency July 28, 2004)