Chemical plant blast contaminates river (newsphoto) Updated: 2005-11-24 06:59
Polluted water in Songhua River reaches
Harbin, the capital of northeastern Heilongjiang province November
24, 2005. A stretch of potentially lethally polluted river water
headed towards one of China's biggest cities on Thursday after an
explosion at a petrochemical plant. China said on Wednesday the
blast had caused 'major pollution' in the Songhua River from which
Harbin and home to nine million people, draws its drinking water.
[newsphoto] |
Dead fish can be seen in the Songhua River as
the State Environment Protection Administration confirmed Wednesday that
pollutants containing benzene and nitrobenzene contaminated the river
after a chemical-plant blast at the upper reaches in Northeast China. An
80-kilometre swathe of polluted water was expected to reach the
water-sourcing area of Harbin which was forced to cut off water supply for
four days. [newsphoto] |
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