Chemical leak in China factory leaves 15 dead

A chemical leak of liquid ammonia from a cold storage unit at a food company in the Chinese city of Shanghai has left 15 people dead.

Reports said that the fatal accident took place on Saturday in the city’s northern district of Baoshan due to a leaking pipe linked to a refrigeration unit belonging to a seafood company.

The government said in a statement that 26 other people were sickened by the leak and transferred to hospital, with six in critical condition.

No further details of the incident have surfaced yet.

The seafood firm, Shanghai Weng’s Cold Storage Industrial Co., is involved in the import and export, storage, processing, and sales of aquatic products.

Over 200 firefighters were sent to the scene to disperse the liquid ammonia and its fumes with water, reports added.

Local media published pictures of fire engines at the scene with hoses on the ground and a truck used to monitor environmental pollution.

Industrial accidents are common in China.

Eelier in August, five workers at a food company in Shanghai lost their lives after inhaling poisonous fumes while cleaning a vat used for making pickled vegetables.