Jiangsu Factory Disaster: Chemical Leak Kills Three Workers, Forces Emergency Hospitalization and Evacuation

Suzhou, China— Three workers died Saturday morning after a chemical leak inside a factory in Jiangsu Province sent toxic gas through a production hall.

The incident happened at around 8:15 a.m. local time at a chemical materials plant in Suzhou Industrial Park. Workers were handling a batch transfer when a valve on a storage line ruptured. The gas spread fast. It filled the workshop before ventilation kicked in.

Emergency crews found three men unconscious near the leak source. They were pronounced dead at the scene. Six other workers were taken to Suzhou Municipal Hospital. Two are in critical condition with respiratory damage. Doctors said they inhaled concentrated chlorine-based compounds.

The Suzhou Emergency Management Bureau ordered an immediate shutdown of the facility and a 500-meter cordon. Hazmat teams in full suits entered to seal the line. Monitors detected elevated levels until midday. Nearby factories were told to keep workers indoors and shut air intakes.

The plant, which produces industrial solvents, is operated by a private firm with 240 employees. Local records show it was cited in 2023 for inadequate gas detection systems. The company said it had since upgraded sensors. Investigators now have the maintenance logs.

"There was a loud hissing, then people started coughing and running," one worker who escaped told local officials. The account matches early findings that alarms sounded seconds after the rupture, not before.

Xinhua reported that the provincial work safety committee has sent a team to Suzhou. The team will examine whether the line was over-pressurized and whether workers had proper respirators. The factory's safety manager has been detained for questioning, standard procedure in fatal industrial cases.

Environmental officials tested air and water around the park. They said no lasting contamination was found outside the plant boundary, but monitoring will continue for 48 hours. Residents nearby were advised to stay clear.

The factory remains sealed. An investigation into safety procedures and equipment failure is underway.