Salvage workers have succeeded in retrieving the cargo of extremely corrosive chemicals from a half-sunken cargo vessel on the middle reaches of the Yangtze River on Sunday morning.

More than 100 people took 40 hours to drain the liquid caustic soda from the "Xianghan Shouwei 0298" to two special vessels at Zhicheng Harbor in Yidu city, Hubei Province, said Chen Lianghua, vice head of the rescue headquarters.

"During the salvage operation, no casualties, no leaks and no pollution were reported," he added.

The ship was to sail to Hunan Province with 500 tons of liquid caustic soda, but was found to be taking on water at around 7:00 a.m. on Friday after 130 tons of the chemicals were loaded.

A rescue ship and a salvage team arrived at the scene in the day to carry out repairs to stop the sinking. On Saturday noon, four acid and alkaline resistant pumps were used to drain the chemicals.

The Yidu municipal bureau of environmental protection said on Sunday that the river was unpolluted.

The ship is expected to be hoisted on Monday and then the maritime bureau will investigate the cause for the sinking.

Liquid caustic soda, with a concentration of 32 percent, is listed as a dangerous chemical.

(Xinhua News Agency December 17, 2007)