A sulphur dioxide leak at a factory in central China on Tuesday resulted in 108 local residents being taken to hospital with breathing difficulties.

The accident occurred close to midnight at a chemical plant in the city of Yidu in Hubei Province after a lightning-triggered blackout damaged a tower containing sulphur dioxide.

“Most of the 108 people, who had symptoms of respiratory diseases including coughing and distress, have returned home after careful examination at hospital,” Nie, a senior official from the Yidu Security Supervision Bureau, told reporters.

But 18 of them, who were seriously poisoned, are still in hospital though they have been declared out of danger, Nie said. The accident site has been closed and the source of the leak is now under control.

“The breeze at night is helping reduce the density of the chemical in the air, so the lives of neighboring residents should not be affected,” said Nie.

Although local authorities are still conducting investigations, the official pointed out that poor backup systems at the Chuxing Company’s plant will force the firm to take some responsibility.

“Having its output capacity expanded in recent years, the company ignored upgrading its emergency power supply system for its sulphur dioxide insulating tower,” Nie said. So when the blackout struck, the system was not able to respond or safeguard normal operations for the tower.

The Yidu government is now dealing with the aftermath by sending officials related to security supervision, environmental protection and health care to the affected village.

In April nine people died in a chlorine leak in southwestern Chongqing Municipality and 30,000 people were forced to evacuate homes. And in the same month there were also poisonous leaks in Beijing, Jiangxi and Zhejiang that claimed five lives. At the time the State Council said the cause of all the incidents was outdated security and backup systems.

(China Daily November 10, 2004)