Rescuers scurry to dispose chemicals at storm-hit China plant

Rescuers are racing against time to safely dispose off chemicals stored at a solar panel factory, which was destroyed during a severe storm in China's eastern Jiangsu Province that has claimed 98 lives.

Heavy rain, hailstorms and a tornado battered parts of Yancheng City on Thursday.

The storm also destroyed the 40,000-square-metre solar panel factory, which is partly owned by GCL System Integration Technology Co Ltd.

A total of 470 people were working in the factory when the storm hit.

Two cooks were killed and over 70 factory floor employees were injured, state-run Xinhua reported.

The disposal of the hazardous chemicals, including ammonium gas and silane, is due to be finished on Saturday, Zhou Xiang, head of Jiangsu fire corps and director of the rescue headquarters said.

 

Zhou said that the quantity of the chemicals was not large and all chemicals were stored in bottles or cans.

"Currently there is no danger of diffusion" he said.