(April 28, 2002) A toxic spill in Guangdong province is threatening water supplies to millions of people, state media have said.

(Excerpt)

A toxic spill in southern China is threatening water supplies to millions of people, state media have said. It was caused by excessive discharge of cadmium from a state-owned smelter in the city of Shaoguan into the Bei River in Guangdong province, they said. In the city of 500,000 people, water was shut off for most of Tuesday, residents said. Downstream, people were warned not to drink tap water. Cadmium levels in the river are currently 10 times above safety levels. China is still recovering from a chemical spill in November that left millions without water for days in the north-east. The massive leak of toxic benzene was caused by an explosion at a chemical plant. The first traces of benzene are expected to reach Russia’s border city of Khabarovsk shortly. The BBC correspondent in Beijing says the two incidents highlight the scant regard that Chinese industries have for environmental protection and safety standards.

BBC News Online, April 28, 2002