Shades of Bhopal: Toxic fumes kill almost 200 in China
Toxic fumes from a natural gas well explosion killed at least 191 people in southwestern China in late December, state media reported. Hundreds of people were taken to hospitals suffering from poisoning and chemical burns after the blast. More than 40 000 people living within three miles of the gas field were evacuated, amid fears that the death toll would rise.
Some 9,185 people were treated for gas poisoning and other injuries, and 431 were still hospitalized — 17 in critical condition, the official Xinhua News Agency said at press time. Newspaper photos showed children with red faces and their eyes inflamed from chemical burns.