Arrests in China follow massive leak into the Taiwan Strait

An image of dead fish as a result of chemical leaks in a Chinese port

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Seven charged with criminal negligence after release of 70 tonnes of aromatic hydrocarbons sickened over 50 people

A chemical spill in China that leaked nearly seven tonnes of C9 aromatic hydrocarbons into the Taiwan Strait earlier this month has culminated in the arrest of seven people for criminal negligence, according to local media reports. The incident, which sickened 52 people, apparently occurred during the transfer of the solvent mixture onto a chemical tanker at a wharf in the Fujian port city of Quanzhou. Those detained include employees of the company that operated the wharf, Fujian Donggang Petrochemical, and the tanker crew.