Chinese residents appear to set tap water on fire after gas leaks into supply
Complaints of oily residue when washing hands prompts investigation
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Residents in northeastern China have reported a flammable substance coming from their taps.
Videos showed people appearing to set fire to water flowing into their kitchen and bathroom sinks.
Complaints were posted on social media on Sunday from residents in Panjin, Liaoning province, who said they were left with an oily residue when washing their hands.
An investigation by local officials reportedly found that a “small amount of natural gas entered the water pipe network”, contaminating the groundwater supply.
A tweet from the People’s Daily, a Chinese-state affiliated newspaper, said the “odd scene is caused by natural gas infiltration due to temporary underground water supply system error, which is now shut down”.
The local authority said in a statement: “Dawa District attaches great importance to the residents’ complaint that ‘the tap water in a villager’s home in Liaoning can be ignited’ and immediately hired an expert to analyse and find the cause.
“After in-depth investigation and analysis, the expert believed that the source of the tap water in Siying Village where the resident was located came from deep groundwater. Due to a small amount of natural gas leaking into the water layer, the natural gas was brought to the ground during the water extraction process.
“Due to the recent expansion of the water storage device of the water station in this area, the temporary direct supply of groundwater has caused a small amount of natural gas to enter the water pipe network, causing a flammability phenomenon.”
The statement added that after a “comprehensive investigation of the tap water sources in the whole district, no such problems have been found in other areas”.
Improvements were promised to ensure the water supply was made safe to use.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments