Police are looking for the driver of a tanker truck who fled
after hazardous chemicals leaking from his vehicle resulted in the
death of one person, left 100 others ill with two of them in
critical condition.
The leak occurred at about 8 PM on January 30. The truck was
carrying dimethyl sulfate across Xiaogan in central China's Hubei Province.
The truck's license plate number is A69806. Police said it
belonged to a chemical plant in Zibo in east China's Shandong Province. It was heading toward
central China's Henan Province, said police.
All of those suffering from poisoning are having difficulty
breathing, irritated eyes and swelling, reported Xinhua News
Agency, citing the local hospital.
Dimethyl sulfate is used to produce industrial dyes and
pesticides. It can be corrosive and irritates the skin, eyes and
the upper respiratory tract.
Traffic flow at the site of the leak returned to normal
yesterday, said police. No new victims had been reported as of 8 AM
yesterday.
The cause of the accident is under investigation, said
police.?
(China Daily February 2, 2007)