dulouz
Joined: 04 Feb 2003
Location: Uranus
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 Posted: Wed Nov 23, 2005 5:21 am Post subject: Big Problems with Harbin's Water |
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Toxic leak threat to Chinese city
Thousands of tons of water are being shipped in by road
The Chinese authorities have revealed massive pollution of a river which has caused water supplies to the northern city of Harbin to be cut off.
"Benzene levels were 108 times above national safety levels," said China's Environment Protection Administration.
The contamination followed an explosion at a chemical factory upstream of the Songhua river.
Some schools and businesses have closed in Harbin, a city of 3.4m people; flights out of the city are sold out.
"Everyone wants to leave Harbin and it is very difficult to buy tickets," a factory manager told Reuters.
Benzene is a highly poisonous toxin that is also carcinogenic.
Fifteen hospitals have been placed on stand-by to cope with possible poisoning victims.
HARBIN
Capital of Heilongjiang province
Strong Russian influence
Hosts annual ice festival
China's ice capital
Officials are also on alert in Russian towns further down the river.
More than 16,000 tons of drinking water is being brought into Harbin by road, the Chinese state news agency Xinhua said - though this is less than Harbin's residents habitually use in a day.
The government initially said the stoppage would last four days, but a water company official has told the BBC there is no set timetable for the resumption of supplies.
BBC Beijing correspondent Louisa Lim says residents of Harbin are mistrustful of government statements, having originally been told the stoppage was for routine maintenance.
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http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4462760.stm |
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