Polluted underground water flammable in Henan village

河南一村庄地下水污染严重 井水一点火就着(图)

　5月28日，记者接到禹州市颍川办事处东十里村四组村民投诉，该村地下水疑似受村前宏达石油公司加油站油罐泄漏严重污染，地下抽出的水一点就着。部分村民受水污染影响，出现发病症状。[查看全文]

(ECNS) -- Underground water in a village of Henan province has become so badly polluted that water pumped from local wells has become flammable, according to China.com on Monday.

Residents of the village in Yuzhou city told China.com that the well water there is not safe to drink, nor can it be used for irrigation.

Water samples from one well were brown in color and contained large amounts of impurities.

Villagers said the underground water may be polluted by petroleum leaking from a nearby gas station that has been operating for nearly two decades.

The contaminated water has contributed to an increase in diseases in local people, according to villagers.

Wei, a woman whose home is located next to the gas station, said the polluted water has caused dementia in her husband.

Though people have reported the situation to the local environmental department several times, the water pollution issue has not been resolved.

The director of the work safety department of Yuzhou, who is also the supervisor of the gas station, said the department has reported the case to municipal officials.

The local publicity department told China.com last Saturday that operation of the gas station has been suspended.

The municipal environmental department and work safety bureau in Yuzhou said they had joined hands to carry out risk assessments at the gas station, and that a detailed plan to solve the problem was being discussed.