Thirteen of the 48 people poisoned by a chlorine spill on Tuesday in Shanghai remain hospitalized, but the others have been released.
The leak occurred at around 12:50 PM at the Gaoqiao Petrochemical Company, a subsidiary of China Petrochemical Corporation, in the Pudong New District. Workers were unloading a tanker carrying liquid chlorine when the metal hose broke, spilling 200 kilograms of the chemical. It evaporated and wind blew it toward the south.
The victims include workers and residents of the surrounding area. All those injured were sent to the No. 7 People's Hospital immediately for medical monitoring. The 13 still hospitalized include four children.
An investigation is under way.
(Xinhua News Agency July 28, 2004)
