17 punished for Shanghai liquid ammonia leak

Seventeen people have been punished for a fatal liquid ammonia leak at a refrigeration unit in Shanghai on August 31, according to a statement from the Shanghai municipal government on Friday.

Five people suspected to be responsible for the accident, including Weng Wenbin, legal representative of Shanghai Weng's Cold Storage Industrial Co., Ltd. in Baoshan District, have been transferred to judicial bodies and will be investigated for criminal responsibility, it said.

Twelve officials from the district, including Qin Wenbo, deputy director of Baoshan District, have been subjected to disciplinary sanctions, said the statement.

The liquid ammonia leak, which took place at around 10:50 a.m. on August 31 in a factory at Shanghai Weng's Cold Storage Industrial Co., Ltd., left 15 people dead, 25 others injured and caused a direct economic loss of 25.1 million yuan (4.1 million U.S. dollars).

Liquid ammonia is a colorless liquid frequently used in industrial sterilization and refrigeration processes. The corrosive and volatile chemical may cause suffocation after heavy inhalation.

The liquid ammonia was used in food refrigeration units at the company, which is engaged in import, export, storage, processing and sale of seafood.

A probe into the deadly ammonia leak earlier this month showed that a detached pipe cap was the direct cause of the accident.

Investigators also found that the company illegally built the workshop after completing construction of the plant's main body, blocking the fire exits.

The workshop was designed and constructed by unqualified workers, and the company did not provide training to workers before starting production, according to a statement from the Shanghai work safety supervision bureau.