A man who was trapped in a wrecked car has been rescued and
taken to hospital following a road crash that left 24 tons of a
highly toxic and explosive chemical leaking from a tanker truck in
northeast China on Tuesday.
The man was seriously injured, but not in a critical condition,
said a spokesman with the Fire-control Bureau of Shenyang, capital
of Liaoning Province.
The accident happened on an expressway in Liaozhong County, 50
kilometers west of Shenyang at around 2:20 PM when the two vehicles
collided.
The leaking chemical acrylonitrile had been contained by experts
sent by the company that owned the tanker. The remaining chemical
was transferred to another tanker, said a bureau spokesman.
By 7:00 PM, the expressway section linking Liaozhong and
Shenyang had reopened, he said.
The drivers of the two vehicles had been rescued before the sole
car passenger who was left trapped in the damaged car.
More than 20 fire engines had been dispatched to the site by the
fire-control authorities of Shenyang.
Acrylonitrile is a colorless liquid chemical with a sharp onion
or garlic-like odor. It can be dissolved in water and evaporates
quickly.
The toxic chemical may harm the nervous system and lungs and
causes breathing difficulties and headaches if inhaled. It can also
burn the skin.
Local environment authorities are testing soil and underground
water in the area for contamination.
The local government has no immediate plan to evacuate residents
as there is no river nearby and the nearest village is about three
kilometers away, while the villagers have been warned not to use
underground water before it is tested as safe.
(Xinhua News Agency March 28, 2007)