Jinan, China— A chemical leak at a chemical fiber industrial park in Zibo City, Shandong, at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday released a plume of acidic gas, hospitalizing 14 workers and forcing evacuation of three workshops.
The leak occurred in a storage area where chlorosulfonic acid is kept for synthetic fiber production. A corroded valve failed during transfer, spraying liquid that reacted with moisture in the air and formed a white irritant cloud. Workers within 100 meters reported choking and eye pain.
Fourteen workers were taken to Zibo Central Hospital with chemical bronchitis, eye irritation, and nausea. Two were in moderate condition on oxygen. The rest were stable and expected to be discharged within 24 hours. The park’s emergency team neutralized the spill with lime.
"The valve burst, liquid hissed, then white smoke came. We ran upwind. Some fell near the gate," said a line worker who escaped and was treated on site for eye irritation.
Fire brigades in acid-resistant suits shut the feed and cordoned the area. Air monitoring 200 meters downwind showed levels dropping to safe within two hours. No leak beyond the plant boundary was detected.
Shandong Emergency Management Department ordered suspension of the factory’s acid handling unit and seized maintenance logs. The factory had been cited in July for corroded piping in the same area but had not replaced it.
"The pipe was past service life. Replacement was scheduled for next month. That delay cost 14 workers their health," a provincial safety inspector said at a briefing. He spoke on condition of anonymity because the formal report is not final.
Shandong is China’s largest chemical production base. Leaks and blasts have prompted tighter inspections since a 2019 Xiangshui explosion that killed 78.
The company apologized and said it would pay medical costs and install automated shutoff valves. Families waited at the hospital gate.
Prosecutors will decide on negligence charges after the safety bureau completes its investigation within 72 hours.
The industrial park resumed partial operations by evening, with the affected workshop remaining sealed.
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