An emergency plan was put in place in time in Lanzhou on Thursday to avoid a likely blast and severe water pollution caused by a leak of fluid ammonia.

Firemen pour water on the tanker to avoid a possible explosion caused by the leaked fluid ammonia in Lanzhou on Thursday, February 28, 2008. [Photo: Lanzhou Morning Post]

The toxic chemical suddenly started to leak on Thursday morning from a tanker belonging to a logistics company of Heilongjiang Province and was parked at a desolated gas station in Xigu District, reports the local Lanzhou Morning Post.

More than 20 tons of fluid ammonia was loaded onboard and the tanker was less than 20 meters south of the Yellow River and five kilometers away from the water source for the city, the capital of northwestern Ganzu Province.

The municipal government mobilized more than 400 rescuers soon after receiving the report. Rescue work concluded at around 3:30 PM with the leaked liquid cleared up and the tanker driven away.

More than 1,200 residents in a nearby village were evacuated to safety and the section of the Lanzhou-Xining railway passing by the site was temporarily closed.

Results of instant pollution test performed by the local environmental protection department showed that the accident had caused no water pollution and did not seriously affect the air quality of the city.

A villager muffles his mouth and nose with a towel to prevent possible poisoning caused by the leaked chemical liquid on February 28, 2008.

A fire fighter, carrying a fire hose, stands in front of the tanker that loaded more than 20 tons of fluit ammonia inside on February 28, 2008.

(CRI February 29, 2008)