Tonnes of Sulphuric Acid Leak from Tank at Chinese Chemical Plant

The leak was detected at about 5.50am on Monday at the state-owned plant in Lingbao in Henan province.

About 300 workers sealed off the area around the spillage so the chemical could be treated.

There was no contamination of soil, drinking water or the air, The Beijing News quoted the local government as saying.

No injuries were reported, according to the report.

The acid was kept in an ageing tank and a drainage ditch nearby was filled with the bubbling chemical, video footage showed.

An unnamed resident was quoted as saying that some of the chemical had got into the sewage system.

“Smoke was coming out of sewers and the smell was very pungent at about 9am,” the resident said.

The remaining acid in the tank was transferred to another.

Staff found the bottom of the tank had given way, the report said.

The tank could store 1,000 tonnes of sulphuric acid when full.