Beijing (AsiaNews/Agencies) – China's Shaanxi province sent a team of 700 workers to the Wei River, one of the main tributaries of the Yellow River, to stop 150,000 litres of diesel fuel from flowing into the big waterway. The Yellow River is a source of drinking water for millions of people.
The leak occurred on the fuel pipeline operated by the state-run China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), whose management often includes top Communist Party officials.
The pipeline was shut down on 30 December when the leak occurred. CNCP took a number of emergency measures, including deploying 23 blocking belts across the Wei and placing three floating dams at strategic points.
According to Chinese media, about 700 workers have been mobilised around the clock to prevent the fuel from reaching the Yellow River.
According to the Xinhua state news agency, most of the spilled diesel has been cleaned up. However, the spill stretched about 30 kilometres, some 40 kilometres from the Yellow River.
Early reports suggest that the accident happened when unspecified construction by third-party workers caused a rupture in a section of pipeline.
Deputy Prime Minister Li Keqiang ordered local officials to "strictly prevent leakage and pollution from flowing into the Yellow River and ensure the safety of drinking water" for the residents of the province.
