Plant explosion, gas leak sicken 1,000 in China

A gas leak following an explosion at a pharma manufacturing plant in China has reportedly sickened 1,000 people. Sulfur dioxide is the suspected gas emanating from Apeloa Topso Pharmaceutical's plant in eastern China's Zhejiang Province.

Apeloa, a subsidiary of Hengdian Group, produces antibiotics and medical chemicals, according to a press report. Nauseated and vomiting victims, primarily local residents, were treated at two local hospitals.

Separately, one person was killed and four were injured following a late December explosion at the Renji Pharmaceutical Plant Co. in Taihe County of Fuyang City, some 700 km northwest of Zhejiang. And in August, as reported, two people were killed instantly and more than 200 were sickened following a pipe burst that led to an ammonia leak in a northern China facility.

- see the Apeloa report from PharmPro
- here's the Renji item