Deadly Gas Well Leak Is Sealed With Mud
Technicians used hundreds of cubic yards of mud to seal a burst gas well after it spewed toxic fumes, killing at least 198 people and forcing 41,000 to flee the area in Gaoqiao, southwestern China, the official New China News Agency reported.
The disaster began Tuesday when the well -- broken open by a drilling accident, the agency said -- began spewing natural gas and hydrogen sulfide. Bodies were found in a 10-square-mile area.
More than 9,000 people were treated for gas poisoning and other injuries, and 431 were still hospitalized.
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