80-kilometer slick flows into China's Harbin city

0 Comments | AFP, November, 2005

HARBIN, China (AFP) — An 80-kilometer-long (49-mile) slick of highly toxic benzene flowed along the icy Songhua river into one of China's biggest cities, contaminating water supplies for up to four million people.

The carcinogenic chemical reached the outskirts of Harbin, capital of the northeastern province of Heilongjiang, on Thursday morning, after the city prepared for the potential disaster by closing down the water supplies.

Schools were also closed, while dozens of wells were dug, millions of bottles of water stockpiled and hospitals put on alert for a potential influx of contaminated patients.

Government officials said there had been no reports yet of human contamination, although they conceded the impact of the slick was still unclear.

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