More than 160 people who suffered chlorine poisoning were all in a stable condition yesterday after emergency medical treatment in four hospitals in Yinchuan, capital of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.

A quantity of liquid chlorine escaped from Ningxia Xin'erte Chemical Company at about 8 PM on Sunday and gave off poisonous gas. The private firm involved produces triclene which has liquid chlorine as its raw material. It's located in Xixia District, an urban area of the city, where a several residential blocks are located. .

"We're still looking for those who might be affected by the chlorine leak and seeking the cause of the accident," said a Yinchuan municipal government official. 

Xinhua News Agency reported the gas came from liquid chlorine leaking from a broken pipe at the factory.

According to the local official, the leak has been controlled by firefighters and the firm had been ordered to shut down operations while an investigation gets underway. A total of 164 people were affected.

Yao Chengli, director of Yinchuan No. 1 People's Hospital, was quoted by Xinhua as saying that 44 people had been treated at the hospital.

The remaining residents affected by the gas received emergency treatment in three other hospitals in the city and were all stable, said Xue Saifeng, deputy director of Ningxia Health Department.

Li Xiansheng, an official at Xixia District Environment Protection Bureau, told China Daily yesterday that his bureau had tested the air quality around the area of the incident and found it to be safe.

A separate chemical leak occurred on Sunday morning in Baoji in Shaanxi Province, northwest China. Firefighters were called to a factory at about 7 AM when 5 tons of hydrochloric acid started  to leak. Crews spent around seven hours at the scene. No injuries have been reported.

Zhou Yi, an official with Baoji municipal government said the accident was caused by a broken pipe on a tank containing the acid. Heavy rain had caused the tank's foundation to sink which caused the pipe to break, he added.

(China Daily July 11, 2006)