An oil truck overturned on Thursday October 26, dumping 33 tons of wash oil into a river in north China's Shanxi Province, and contaminating an estimated two million cubic meters of water, forcing water supplies to nearly 28,000 people to be cut.

A truck carrying 33 tons of wash oil overturned at the junction of Heshun and Xiyang counties, dumping its full load of toxic liquid into the river, the provincial environmental bureau confirmed yesterday, six days after the accident.

According to the bureau, the oil flowed into Yangjiapo Reservoir, one of the drinking water sources of Xiyang County, forcing supplies to the towns of Dazhai and Sandu to be cut.

The local authorities have trucked in drinking water and have had to scramble for alternative sources of water for residents affected by the spill. They are also trying to connect tap water pipes to a large well in Mahui village to establish a temporary supply.

The authorities have dispatched pumps, tons of activated carbon and other materials to contain and absorb the spill.

Experts from the State Environmental Protection Administration and the State Environment Monitoring Station have arrived at the site to oversee the treatment of the polluted water.

Investigations show that the overloaded truck, which had a capacity of only 31.5 tons, overturned due to a brake failure.

(Xinhua News Agency November 2, 2006)