The death toll from an explosion in a natural gas field in
southwest China's Chongqing
Municipality on Tuesday has risen to 191, according to
Chongqing municipal government at 18:40 pm Thursday.
The tragedy occurred at 10 pm Tuesday at Chuandongbei gas field
in Kaixian County, when a well burst suddenly and released a high
concentration of natural gas and sulfurated hydrogen about 30
meters high.
The blowout happened at a major gas field in southwest China, which
has a storage capacity of 50 to 60 billion tons of natural gas. It
is run by Sichuan Petroleum Administration under the China National
Petroleum Corporation.
Operations were going normally before the gas suddenly exploded
from the side of the drill when it went through the well 208 meters
from the drill site, said Qian Zhijia, deputy head of the gas
field.
He said the blowout should be completely under control by 10 pm
Friday.
Top municipal government officials have led teams from medical,
civil affairs, public security and transportation departments.
Residents within five square kilometers had been evacuated, said
Wang Duanping, vice governor of the county.
(Xinhua News Agency December 25, 2003)
