About 10,000 workers and residents were evacuated and more than 100 workers hospitalized after three tons of hydrochloric acid leaked at a chemical plant in Shenzhen City, Guangdong Province.

About 10,000 workers and residents were evacuated and more than 100 workers hospitalized after three tons of hydrochloric acid leaked at a chemical plant in Shenzhen City, Guangdong Province.

Heavy black smoke with a pungent odor mushroomed suddenly from Tianjing Industrial Company in Jiemei Industry Park in Longgang District in Shenzhen City on Tuesday afternoon, the Guangdong-based Nanfang Daily reported yesterday.

Thousands of workers from nearby factories ran to escape from the industrial park. They rushed toward the gates but were driven back by the smoke and fumes and had to climb over a wall to escape.

Some cut their hands on the broken glass embedded in the top of the wall.

More than 100 people suffering respiratory difficulties were sent to local hospitals.

Police cordoned off the area and security guards with gas masks maintained order as packed ambulances drove away. The acid had been stored in outside tanks. The accident is believed to have been caused by a burst pipe.