The People’s Committee of HCM City’s Bình Chánh District has asked authorities to supervise the discharge of ammonia gas (NH3) at all branches of Vinh Loc Co Ltd (Photo: vnexpress.net) HCM City (VNA) - ThePeople’s Committee of Binh Chanh district in Ho Chi Minh City has askedauthorities to supervise the discharge of ammonia gas (NH3) at all branches ofVinh Loc Co Ltd.
This follows the leaking of 7,000litres of the toxic gas at a filling station in An Phu Tay commune on October10.
Four people were hospitalised andthousands evacuated in the mishap.
At a conference on October 11,Chairman of Binh Chanh district’s People’s Committee Tran Phu Lu said thecommittee had asked the city’s People’s Committee to clarify responsibilitiesof management agencies who granted a licence to the company.
It would propose the cityauthority develop a plan for removing such stations from residential areas toavoid similar incidents.
Lu said the committee would workwith the municipal Department of Health to monitor concentrations of ammonia inthe air at these stations.
The leak occurred at about 9am onOctober 10 when a gas tanker driver failed to follow safety rules whileextracting NH3 at the filling station, causing a valve to burst open.
Four people, including thedriver, were hospitalised after fainting from gas inhalation. The gas alsokilled many plants, livestock and poultry nearby. Thousands of residents,including students from a local primary school, were immediately evacuated outof the area.
Firefighters were rushed to thesite to spray water in the air to dissolve the leaked ammonia.
Lu said that by October 11afternoon, one patient had recovered and been discharged from hospital. Theremaining patients, workers of the company, were still being treated.
All those who were affected havesince returned to work, apart from six people in two households next to thefilling station.
The People’s Committee of An PhuTay commune said that it had found a temporary home for the two households.
The accident site has beenblocked and security guards mobilised to protect property of the twohouseholds.
Vo Thi Hoang Oanh, Secretary ofAn Pha Tay commune’s Party Committee, said the committee was evaluating thelosses of affected residents and would tell the company to pay compensation.
The 7,000 litres of gas lost wasworth about 300 million VND (13,200 USD).
The committee, together with thedistrict authority, has inspected An Phu Tay Primary School and Nguyen Van LinhSecondary School, where about 1,000 students were moved due to the incident. All the students resumedtheir study at schools.-VNA
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