The preliminary investigation of suspected harmful gas poisoning accident in Changning Food Factory, Sichuan Province occurred in sewage treatment.

CCTV News:Pay attention to the latest news of suspected harmful gas poisoning accident in Furong Bamboo Food Factory in Changning County, Yibin City, Sichuan Province. At present, this accident has caused 7 deaths and one person is being treated. After preliminary investigation, the accident occurred in the sewage treatment link.　

Reporter tension:My present location is the street where Furong Bamboo Shoots Food Factory is located. After the incident, the local government evacuated the whole street, and now the shops in the whole street are temporarily closed. At the same time, three warning lines were set up on this street to ensure safety to prevent people from entering. The two-story white building on my left is Furong Bamboo Food Factory.

Immediately after the incident, the Yibin Municipal Party Committee and the Municipal Government set up an accident emergency disposal headquarters, and at present, the disposal and detection of harmful gases in the factory area are being carried out. Yibin Fire Rescue Detachment has dispatched 14 fire engines and 61 commanders to start operations.

Li Zhuo, detachment leader of Sichuan Yibin Fire Rescue Detachment:Toxic and harmful substances are dynamic, and we should conduct a dynamic inspection every hour on a regular basis. Toxic and harmful substances still exceed the standard in some places, which will do harm to our officers and men.

According to the preliminary detection by experts on site, the harmful gases in the plant mainly include carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulfide and sulfur dioxide. After preliminary investigation, the accident occurred not in the production link, but in the sewage treatment link.

Professor Li Zaixin of Sichuan University of Light Chemical Technology:Enterprises do not treat sewage according to the rules and regulations, and add sodium metabisulfite in the processing link, and release sulfur dioxide during storage and processing. After a long time, sulfur dioxide and the residue of bamboo shoots enter the (sewage) pool for fermentation reaction and produce such (harmful) gases. The sewage should be stirred regularly to release sulfur dioxide.

At present, the sampling of harmful gases and liquids in the factory has been completed and further testing is under way.