18,000 evacuated after pipeline explosion in China
23 Nov AFP
18,000 people were evacuated from a Chinese coastal city after an oil
pipeline explosion killed at least 47 people and sent thick black smoke
billowing into the sky, a local government report said Saturday.
The Friday morning blast in Qingdao ripped roads apart, pictures
showed, while leaving many sections of the city cut off from utilities.
The latest government report Saturday did not explicitly state a
reason for the evacuation, mention its timing, or whether people had
been able to return to their homes.
But, according to official media, students from nearby schools and
local residents were handed out masks over fears of possible toxic
emissions.
The Global Times later reported: “Environmental monitoring shows that
the concentration of toxic materials is within national standards”.
The impact of the blast disrupted the supply of water, gas and
electricity in parts of the city, with the government distributing 2,000
candles on Friday night.
Authorities also provided 40,000 servings of free food for breakfast
and lunch on Saturday.
Electricity has now been restored in all but two communities in the
district, the local government said.
The pipeline, run by state-owned oil giant Sinopec, sprang a leak
early Friday and exploded several hours later as workers sought to
repair it, the Qingdao municipal government said in its verified account
on Sina Weibo, a Chinese equivalent of Twitter.
Sinopec chairman Fu Chengyu told state television on Saturday: “(We)
are deeply grieved, we express our deep condolences for the dead, our
support to their families ... and our apologies to the whole country.
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