TOXIC CHEMICAL LEAK IN ULSAN PLANT LEAVES 16 HOSPITALISED

ULSAN (South Korea), Sept 27 (Bernama-Yonhap) -- Sixteen people were taken to a hospital Friday after a toxic chemical leak at a plant in the southeastern industrial city of Ulsan, Yonhap News Agency reported citing officials.

Firefighters received a report that a burning smell and white smoke were coming from a synthetic resin production plant in Ulju County in Ulsan, some 300 kilometres southeast of Seoul, at 10.15 am.

The smoke began while testing a reactor containing some 50 kilogrammes of epoxy, a chemical compound, when its temperature suddenly shot up to 200 C, officials said.

Firefighters mobilised 42 personnel and 16 fire trucks to cool down the reactor.

In the process, a 15-metre pipe near the reactor caught fire before it was put out two minutes later.

All workers inside the plant at the time were safely evacuated, but sixteen people, including four trainees at a nearby business centre, complained of symptoms like eye irritation and nausea, and were taken to a hospital for treatment.

Small amounts of toxic chemicals like toluene and ozone were detected at some point near the plant, but none were spotted as of now, according to officials.

Firefighters are looking into the exact cause of the leak.

-- BERNAMA-YONHAP