The construction site where the gas cylinder was found in Qiqihar City of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province on Monday has been isolated by the local police.

 

At about 6 pm Monday, the Qiqihar City Police Department received a report saying that an iron cylinder with pungent smell was found in a construction site, where a packing house stood in the past.

 

The cylinder, black and around one meter high, was then taken away after being covered with plastic cloth, according to the witness.

 

The poison has been confirmed by chemical experts from the Shenyang Military Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Tuesday as mustard gas left by the Japanese intruding troops during the World War II.

 

Eight local people suspected of being poisoned were immediately hospitalized.

 

A team of medical experts from the Chinese army's 302 Hospital were appointed by the municipal government of Qiqihar to examine mustard gas victims.

 

They had received regular examination around 9:00 pm Monday, and were found congestion in conjunctivas. One felt sick and suffered headache.

 

The experts said no serious condition was found of the eight victims in the second round checkup Tuesday afternoon.

 

Sun Jinghai, head of the team, said it was hard to decide the health condition of the victims until their indexes of blood sugar and uric acid came out.

 

Even though, the bungalows nearby was segregated by the patrolling police wagons.

 

Some restaurants around the place also closed their doors as few people came here for their meals since the mustard gas with strong pungent and stink smell was found.

 

In August 2003, 44 people were poisoned by the Japanese-abandoned mustard gas in the city, one of whom died.

 

(Xinhua News Agency May 26, 2004)