The Zhuhai Public Health Bureau has established a special task
force to investigate the air toxicity accident that affected at
least 90 workers on Monday morning in a local company of
Zhuhai in
Guangdong Province.
Of
the victims, 20 were seriously affected and are still in hospital
receiving treatment while the other 70 have been sent home,
according to an official from the Zhuhai Municipal Bureau of Public
Health.
The company has been ordered to stop production for investigation
and elimination of the problem, the official said.
On
Monday morning, an increasing number of workers from a local
Japanese-funded company began to complain of headaches and
breathing difficulties.
All the affected employees worked in a closed workshop of the
company, which produces electric appliances. The company is one of
the biggest taxpayers in the Zhuhai which borders Macao Special
Administrative Region.
It
was suspected that workers had inhaled some unidentified toxic
substance, and they were immediately sent to Zhuhai Municipal
People's hospital for emergency treatment.
By
yesterday evening, 70 of the workers had returned home after
treatment.
Officials have promised to find out the cause of the accident and
punish any personnel found to be responsible.
An
executive from the company said there had been no forewarning, and
investigation of the case is still ongoing.
It
is the second serious toxic air incident to have taken place in
Guangdong Province since June.
Twelve workers from the Anjia Shoe Factory also suffered from
inhaling toxic air in the city of Dongguan in the Pearl River Delta
in June. Some of the victims of that incident are still on
medication.
The Guangdong Provincial Bureau of Public Health recently decided
to fine the Taiwan-funded shoe company 180,000 yuan (US$21,700) and
insisted that the investor upgrade safety measures in the
factory.
The bureau has also issued a notice asking for the tightening up of
safety measures in the handling of toxic materials.
(China
Daily September 19, 2002)