Chinese Victims of Japanese Chemical Weapons Rise to 39

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, August 14, 2003

Chinese Victims of Japanese Chemical Weapons Rise to 39

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As of 11 a.m. Thursday, 39 people had been hospitalized in Qiqihar City of China's northernmost Heilongjiang Province after being exposed to mustard gas from chemical weapons abandoned by Japanese troops during World War II.

Deadly poisonous gas leaked on Aug. 4 when five metal barrels were dug out and broken at a construction site in Qiqihar. Highly-toxic, oil-like material also leaked out and infiltrated the soil.

Chemical weapons experts later confirmed that the material was mustard gas, and the barrels were chemical weapons left by the Japanese army intruders.

Chi Shuai and Bai Jianbo were the latest victims sent to the No.203 Hospital of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) in the past day.

They are both drivers of a local transport team and were infected when transporting earth dug out from the construction site.

Among the inpatients, two are still in critical condition, eight in a serious state, and the remaining 29 have stabilized. Five have made a remarkable recovery and are to be discharged in few days, according to sources with the hospital.

Japan to Discuss Compensation for Chinese Gas Leak Victims

A Japanese diplomat said Thursday that Japan will hold talks with the Chinese government on compensation for people who have been made ill by chemical weapons abandoned by Japanese troops in World War II.

Japanese Ambassador to China Fumiyo Anami said in Beijing that Japan was deeply sympathetic to the victims of chemical weapons stocks that were unearthed last week at a construction site in northern China.

His government would allocate medical aid for the victims soon, he said.

On August 4, five metallic barrels were dug up at a construction site in Qiqihar City, northeast Heilongjiang Province.

One of the barrels was accidentally broken, causing an oil-like substance to leak into the soil. The substance was later confirmed to be mustard gas.

By Wednesday, 37 people had been hospitalized following exposure to the chemicals.

The Japanese government admitted Tuesday that the chemical weapons were left by Japanese troops during World War II, saying it felt "extremely regretful".

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