10,000 evacuated due to chemical threat in China

Two vehicles laden with dangerous chemicals collided in eastern China today, forcing the evacuation of more than 10,000 residents of the area.

Two vehicles laden with dangerous chemicals collided in eastern China on Wednesday, forcing the evacuation of more than 10,000 residents of the area.

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Two vehicles carrying 27 tonnes of vinyl chloride and 20 tonnes of resin respectively collided in the capital of China's Zhejiang Province, causing a threat to the nearby population.

The people within a one kilometre radius of the crash in the provincial capital Hangzhou were evacuated before traffic police and firefighters began to remove the vehicles, government officials said.

A primary school and some factories in the region had to be closed, officials said.

People living within radius of a kilometre were advised to relocate, while those living in the 500-metre radius had to be evacuated, officials said.

Vinyl chloride is a toxic gas that can cause dizziness and chest pain, and can lead to a coma or even death.

Resin is an inflammable toxic substance, Xinhua report said.