XI'AN: More than 160 people who suffered chlorine poisoning were in stable conditions yesterday after emergency medical treatment in four hospitals in Yinchuan, capital of Northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.

A quantity of liquid chlorine leaked from Ningxia Xin'erte Chemical Company at about 8 pm on Sunday, giving off a poisonous gas. The private firm is mainly involved in the production of triclene, which has liquid chlorine as its raw material. It is located in Xixia District, an urban area of the city where a number of residential blocks are concentrated.

"We are still looking for those who might be affected by the chlorine leak accident and seeking the cause of the accident," according to a Yinchuan municipal government official, who did not want to be identified.

Xinhua News Agency reported that the gas came from liquid chlorine leaking from a broken pipe at the factory.

According to the local official, the leak has since been controlled by firefighters and the firm has been ordered to close while an investigation takes place. A total of 164 people were affected.

Yao Chengli, director of Yinchuan No 1 People's Hospital, was quoted by Xinhua as saying that 44 people have been treated at the hospital.

The remaining residents affected by the gas received emergency treatment in three other hospitals in the city and were all in stable conditions, said Xue Saifeng, deputy director of Ningxia Health Department.

Li Xiansheng, an official at Xixia District Environment Protection Bureau, told China Daily yesterday that his bureau had tested the air quality around the company and found it was safe.

A separate chemical leak occurred on Sunday morning in Baoji in Shaanxi Province, Northwest China.

Firefighters were called to a factory at about 7 am when 5 tons of hydrochloric acid began to leak.

Crews spent about 7 hours at the scene, and no injuries were reported.

Zhou Yi, an official with Baoji municipal government, said the accident was caused by a broken pipe on a tank containing the hydrochloric acid.

Heavy rain had caused the tank's foundation to sink, which broke the pipe, he added.

Source: China Daily