China chemical spill: 7 arrested as fishermen wait for news on compensation

Suspects identified only as four employees of chemical plant and three tanker workers
Spill of 7 tonnes of toxic liquid into Taiwan Strait put 52 people in hospital

PUBLISHED : Thursday, 15 November, 2018, 9:30pm

UPDATED : Thursday, 15 November, 2018, 10:48pm

The Quangang government said the leak has been cleaned up but a local chemist said traces of the chemical could remain in the water for months or even years. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

Seven people have been arrested in southeast China for their roles in the chemical leak that put 52 people in hospital and cost local fisherman millions of dollars in lost revenue.

The incident happened on November 4 when a tube carrying a mix known as C9 aromatics from a petrochemical firm to a tanker came loose, spilling about 7 tonnes of the toxic liquid into the sea.

According to a statement issued on Thursday by the government of Quangang, a district of Quanzhou in Fujian province, three of the people arrested are employees of Fujian Donggang Petrochemical Company and four are from the tanker, the Tiantong No 1.

They have all been charged with “criminal negligence that caused a serious accident”, the statement said.

A total of 52 people needed hospital for treatment after being exposed to the chemical spill. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

A separate notice from the Quangang government said that the people admitted to hospital were treated for pneumonia, nausea and dizziness after inhaling the chemical. Two patients are still being treated for their injuries, it said.

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The leak, which created large yellow oil stains on the waters of the Taiwan Strait, has now been cleaned up, the first statement said.

The seven people arrested have all been charged with “criminal negligence that caused a serious accident”, according to a government statement said. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

However, Chen Kaihan, a chemist with the Quanzhou Normal University, said that it was likely that small amounts of the chemical would remain in the seawater near the fish farms for months or even years to come.

Fishermen in villages affected by the spill, including Xiaocuo, Shage and Huiyu, are in negotiations with local authorities on a compensation package, but they have yet to reach a settlement.

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C9 aromatics is a by-product of the oil refining process. It can cause burns on contact with the skin, and dizziness, nausea and vomiting if inhaled.

Seafood markets and distributors said earlier they were avoiding sourcing stock from fishing villages affected by the spillage for fear of it being contaminated.