Police are looking for the driver of a tanker truck who fled after hazardous chemicals leaking from his vehicle resulted in the death of one person, left 100 others ill with two of them in critical condition.

The leak occurred at about 8 PM on January 30. The truck was carrying dimethyl sulfate across Xiaogan in central China's Hubei Province.

The truck's license plate number is A69806. Police said it belonged to a chemical plant in Zibo in east China's Shandong Province. It was heading toward central China's Henan Province, said police.

All of those suffering from poisoning are having difficulty breathing, irritated eyes and swelling, reported Xinhua News Agency, citing the local hospital.

Dimethyl sulfate is used to produce industrial dyes and pesticides. It can be corrosive and irritates the skin, eyes and the upper respiratory tract.

Traffic flow at the site of the leak returned to normal yesterday, said police. No new victims had been reported as of 8 AM yesterday.

The cause of the accident is under investigation, said police. 

(China Daily February 2, 2007)