China: ammonia gas leak, 200 poisoning people

202 Chinese people were poisoned after ammonia gas leaked from a pharmaceutical factory in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region (northern China) on August 5.

Hongshan county government, Chifeng city said that by noon on August 5, there were 21 hospitalized people, 181 people were placed under close supervision of the hospital. Luckily there were no deaths.

Victims of poisoning are being treated at the hospital (Photo: Xinhua)

The leak occurred at 8.40 am, when a truck carrying 30 tons of liquid ammonia was unloading at Chifeng Pharmaceutical Group's factory. About 50 minutes later, the leak was sealed. According to local authorities, an unexpectedly broken pipe caused a leak.

Poisoned people are factory workers, emergency workers and people living nearby. All people living within 2km of the wind direction are blown away from the place where the leak occurred.

Police agencies, environmental protection agencies and labor safety agencies have set up a team to investigate the incident. The initial investigation information indicated that factory workers had failed the assembly operation of the unloading equipment and the pipeline was too old.

Authorities are also examining the water supply to the city for ammonia contamination.

Ambulance vehicles and fire engines at the accident scene (Photo: Xinhua)

Firefighters tried to cool the scene where the leak occurred (Photo: Xinhua)