Salvage workers have begun retrieving 130 tons of extremely corrosive chemicals from a half-sunken cargo vessel on the middle reaches of the Yangtze River.

 

Four acid and alkali resistant pumps are draining liquid caustic soda from the ship "Xianghan Shouwei 0298" to a special vessel at Zhicheng Harbor in Yidu City, Hubei Province. More than 100 people took part in the salvation operation.

 

The operation, which began at noon, could be completed late on Saturday or early Sunday, a spokesman of the Yidu government said.

 

The ship was set to sail to Hunan Province with 500 tons of liquid caustic soda from the harbor, but was found to be taking on water at around 7:00?a.m. Friday after 130 tons of the chemicals were loaded.

 

A rescue ship arrived at the scene around 11:00?a.m. and a salvage team at 3:00?p.m. and they carried out repairs to stop the sinking.

 

The Yidu municipal bureau of environmental protection said on Saturday afternoon that the chemicals had not leaked.

 

Xiong Kegang, head of the salvage team, said they had reinforced the 12 cargo holds and fixed the ship with six thick cables. A rescue vessel was called to buttress the cargo ship to prevent it from capsizing.

 

Liquid caustic soda, with a concentration of 32 percent, is listed as a dangerous chemical.

 

(Xinhua News Agency December 16, 2007)