At 2:15 pm on 9 August, an underground gas pipe ruptured in Changsha, Hunan. The accident was caused by an engineering team working on Shaoshan Southern Road. A large amount of concentrated gas leaked into the surrounding environment, which houses a great many shops. Due to the usage of air conditioners, the chance of an explosion was high. About 1,000 residents were immediately evacuated by police. 2 staff in nearby shops were affected by fumes and hospitalised. A number of residents exhibited symptoms of headache and vomiting. There have been 13 previous leaks in the section of pipe in question.
Source: "Changsha meiqi zhuguan dao shigong shi bei wa duan shang qian shimin jinji shusan [1,000 evacuated in Changsha gas leak]," Xinhua, 10 August 2004.
Posted by Stephen Frost at August 10, 2004 09:46 PM | TrackBack