A total of 10 people, including one firefighter, passed out after ammonia spilled from a burst container at a food and beverage factory in southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality on Sunday.

None of the injuries was serious.

The spill occurred at the Southwest Food and Beverage Factory as several workers dismantled old equipment around 3:00 PM. The liquid quickly assumed a gaseous form and spread throughout the plant, causing workers to faint and suffer eye irritation.

As the gas spread to neighboring areas, residents also experienced vomiting and dizziness. More than 200 people living nearby were evacuated, according to local media reports.

Firefighters used water to dilute the ammonia at the factory. Shortly after 5:00 PM, they removed the container and released the remaining ammonia. The container was empty two hours later.

Investigation indicated that inappropriate operation caused the spill, as workers did not correctly dismantle the equipment.

This was the second such incident in the same factory in four days. No one was injured in the first incident on August 26.

A recycling company was reportedly given the job of dismantling the factory’s old equipment after the local government shut the plant down earlier this year. Local occupational safety authorities ordered the recycler to suspend operations on August 27, but the company subsequently resumed work at the plant without permission.

Local media report that the authorities have already started an investigation and pledged serious punishment for those responsible.

Several similar incidents have been reported in the past month.

On August 2, an ammonia spill in the city of Zhangzhou, Fujian Province, killed one and injured 29.

Another ammonia spill in Dalian, Liaoning Province, claimed two lives and injured 16 on August 25.

On the same day in Kunming, the capital Yunnan Province, more than 300 local residents were evacuated due to an ammonia spill and more than 150 people were sent to hospital.

Exposure to high concentrations of ammonia gas can cause serious burns and irritation to the eyes and respiratory system, as well as headache, vomiting and mental confusion. Extremely high levels may result in pulmonary edema, which can cause death or long-term lung disorders.

(China Daily, China.org.cn August 31, 2004)