A company responsible for a chemical leak in Quanzhou, Fujian Province is being accused of covering up the facts in order to escape punishment following the incident earlier this month
The incident was actually a leak of 69.1 tons of petrochemicals and not the 6.97 tons Fujian Donggang Petrochemical Industry had previously stated, said Quanzhou mayor Wang Yongli at a press conference. The company’s attempt to cover up the actual volume of the leak and distort evidence is „terrible.“
At 1:13 am on November 4, a hose from an oil tanker owned by the company exploded while it was dumping toxic petrochemical chemicals on a quay in Quangang District, Quanzhou. Aliphatic hydrocarbons are oily, harsh chemical compounds typically derived from the oil refining process. The toxicity is similar to that of gasoline and may cause irritation to human skin, eyes or respiratory tract.
„After the incident, mid-level and high-level employees of the company were told at a conference that they should keep the actual amount of leaks secret in order to avoid criminal sanctions,“ said Wang, and the company’s legal representative, Huang, called another Conference to get involved to say that „6.97 tons of chemicals leaked“ after Quanzhou sent an investigation team to the company. „The investigation also found that there were about 32.4 tons of petrochemicals in the hose before the incident and another 29.7 tons of C9 not registered by the company,“ said the mayor.
After the incident, 69 residents were taken to a hospital, which later explained that all are now in good condition, the government said. The company is accused of having seriously violated laws and regulations, and a government agency has been charged with neglecting duty. Police arrested seven people, including Huang, on suspicion of negligence, which has led to significant consequences.
Some district officials involved in the incident were also disciplined. Chen Xiangcheng was dismissed as deputy head of Quangang from his post, while Zhu Huiyang, director of the district traffic department, and Liu Jiankang from the district security monitoring bureau were suspended.
