A total of 10 people, including one firefighter, passed out
after ammonia spilled from a burst container at a food and beverage
factory in southwest China’s Chongqing
Municipality on Sunday.
None of the injuries was serious.
The spill occurred at the Southwest Food and Beverage Factory as
several workers dismantled old equipment around 3:00 PM. The liquid
quickly assumed a gaseous form and spread throughout the plant,
causing workers to faint and suffer eye irritation.
As the gas spread to neighboring areas, residents also
experienced vomiting and dizziness. More than 200 people living
nearby were evacuated, according to local media reports.
Firefighters used water to dilute the ammonia at the factory.
Shortly after 5:00 PM, they removed the container and released the
remaining ammonia. The container was empty two hours later.
Investigation indicated that inappropriate operation caused the
spill, as workers did not correctly dismantle the equipment.
This was the second such incident in the same factory in four
days. No one was injured in the first incident on August 26.
A recycling company was reportedly given the job of dismantling
the factory’s old equipment after the local government shut the
plant down earlier this year. Local occupational safety authorities
ordered the recycler to suspend operations on August 27, but the
company subsequently resumed work at the plant without
permission.
Local media report that the authorities have already started an
investigation and pledged serious punishment for those
responsible.
Several similar incidents have been reported in the past
month.
On August 2, an ammonia spill in the city of Zhangzhou, Fujian
Province, killed one and injured 29.
Another ammonia spill in Dalian, Liaoning
Province, claimed two lives and injured 16 on August 25.
On the same day in Kunming, the capital Yunnan
Province, more than 300 local residents were evacuated due to
an ammonia spill and more than 150 people were sent to
hospital.
Exposure to high concentrations of ammonia gas can cause serious
burns and irritation to the eyes and respiratory system, as well as
headache, vomiting and mental confusion. Extremely high levels may
result in pulmonary edema, which can cause death or long-term lung
disorders.
(China Daily, China.org.cn August 31,
2004)