A Chinese maritime court yesterday ordered the detention of a South Korean cargo ship over a chemical spill that partially contaminated the drinking water source of a city downstream the Yangtze River in east Jiangsu Province.

The Wuhan Maritime Court, which has the jurisdiction over the region, ordered officials to detain the cargo ship Gloria at the Yangtze riverside city of Nantong and set bail at 20.6 million yuan (US$3.3 million), Bu Xiaofang, a spokesman for Zhenjiang municipal government, said late yesterday.

The government on Tuesday confirmed that phenol levels collected on February 3 in water samples in Zhenjiang were excessive, and the pollution caused tap water in some parts of the city to emit a pungent smell, sending panicked residents to stockpile bottled water from supermarkets.

An initial probe was conducted after authorities said they "suspected" a South Korean cargo ship that had docked at Zhenjiang of spilling the chemical into the river.

"We have gathered evidence that the source of pollution was discharged from the pipe of Gloria," said Mao Desheng, deputy head of Zhenjiang's maritime bureau. "I believe the cause of the spill will soon be verified and made public."

Water samples of Zhenjiang and cities further downstream the Yangtze had not been detected with excessive phenol since February 4.

Phenol, also known as carbolic acid, is an organic compound that can irritate eyes and skin. Soluble in water, if absorbed in large amounts it can damage liver and kidney.

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