A city government official yesterday refuted reports that as many as 1,000 people had been hospitalized recently, allegedly because of poisonous gas leaking from a nearby chemical plant.

Wang Mingchen, deputy secretary-general of the city government in Northeast China's Jilin province, told a press conference that five hospitals had indeed received workers from Jilin Chemical Fiber Group Co Ltd since April 24.

But he said the number was 161 - not 1,000.

Eleven had been allowed to leave, he said. And no deaths were reported.

The number is far fewer than reports on China National Radio (CNR) yesterday that said a document obtained by the radio station from the company's hospital showed more than 700 people received injections on Tuesday to treat them for symptoms of poisoning that included dizziness and vomiting.

Wang said the 'poisonous gas' was in fact "a pungent smell".

He said major symptoms included dizziness, headache, sickness and vomiting.

Again, the city's description was at odds with the station's report that said a female patient who inhaled a smell with "a little bit of sweetness" later felt "slow in reaction, giddy, wanting to vomit and without strength to speak".

And a doctor with the company hospital was quoted by CNR as saying that many patients could not even gather the strength to walk unaided at first.

He estimated that as many as 1,000 people displayed symptoms of poisoning.

Many in the community suspect the Jilin Connell chemical plant was the cause of the leak.

The plant produces aniline, a chemical raw material used to make more than 100 products including dyes and drugs, such as paracetamol.

The Jilin Connell chemical company is a solely foreign invested company that launched a 1.3 billion yuan upgrade in 2007 to develop the facility into China's largest aniline producer, with an annual capacity of 300,000 tons. At present, the plant can produce 150,000 tons.

The city spokesperson said the local government told the Connell company to stop production on April 29.

The local environmental department is monitoring air near the two plants around the clock and an expert team from Beijing has been asked to help determine the source of the noxious gas.

The result of that investigation is expected soon, said Yu Bo, a city government spokesman.

A work safety official from the city government told the press conference that the leak was not an accident, but an emission problem that has affected the environment.

(China Daily May 14, 2009)