Chemical leak in China hits 62 workers

Sixty-two workers were taken ill after a chemical leak at a pharmaceutical factory in eastern China.

The official Xinhua News Agency reported that 37 of them were still in a hospital today after inhaling fumes at work yesterday.

The cause of the leak was under investigation.

Xinhua said the leaked chemical was phosgene, commonly used to produce pesticides, painkillers and antibiotics.

The leak happened at the Wanbei Pharmaceutical Co in Suzhou in Anhui province.

Workplace accidents kill thousands in China every year in part because of lax enforcement of safety rules and poor worker training.