Health authorities have launched an investigation into a Republic of Korea-owned factory in China's northeast Jilin Province after 15 women workers were hospitalized with chemical poisoning.

The company has closed the Gongzhuling City plant, which produces women's headwear, after all its women factory floor staff fell ill on Jan. 31.

The women suffered symptoms of nausea, vomiting, fatigue, headaches and twitching while they were working for an average monthly wage of 350 yuan (US$42) in the Orient Crafts Company.

All the women are still in hospital some two weeks after they first reported their illness.

"I could smell something like malodorous feet," recalled 31-year-old Cai Yanjie in No. 461 Hospital.

"My colleagues and I felt uncomfortable on Jan. 31 when the company received a stock of unidentified glue," Cai said.

The company had used many toxic chemicals during production and all the windows in the plant were sealed, according to the investigation team of 11 experts from Jilin Institute of Health Supervision.

The poisoned workers were out of danger, but they would have suffered incurable problems if they had continued to work for another two months, said Leng Xingzhi, deputy director of the institute.

Nobody has been detained in connection with the poisoning and the plant owner, whose name was not available, had returned to the Republic of Korea before the incident.

(Xinhua News Agency February 11, 2004)