Three people have been arrested for their improper disposal of 17 jars of chlorine that poisoned 134 people and forced more than 2,000 others to evacuate from their village in Qiqihar city, China's northernmost Heilongjiang province, last Thursday.

Qiqihar police arrested Jiang Guiqing, head of a bankrupt pharmaceutical plant, who had sold the old jars in order to get some money as a Chinese Lunar New Year bonus for his employees.

The two unemployed people who had bought the jars from Jiang were also arrested for letting out chlorine by opening the jars near the Gaotou village of Jianhua district when they noticed the jars contained liquid.

Villagers soon complained of vomiting and breathing difficulties and were sent to local emergency aid centers Thursday evening.

Thirteen of them were still being treated in hospital by press time.

Police said they were conducting further probe into the case and had warned all chemical plants in the city to be on alert against similar accidents.

(Xinhua News Agency January 18, 2004)