Leaking oil pipeline catches fire in Chinese city, forcing evacuation of 20,000 people
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A leaking oil pipeline caught fire in the northeastern Chinese port city of Dalian, forcing the evacuation of nearly 20,000 residents, a government oil company said Tuesday.
The pipeline was damaged by construction work at about 6:30 p.m. on Monday, allowing oil to flow into a sewage pipe, where it caught fire, China National Petroleum Corp. said in a statement. It said the oil burned for 25 minutes before being extinguished.
No deaths or injuries were reported. CNPC said 20,000 nearby residents were evacuated.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Five people from the construction company blamed for damaging the pipeline were detained by police while an investigation was underway, the official Xinhua News Agency said.
China has suffered a series of accidents involving leaking oil pipelines. In June 2013, a leaking oil tank in Dalian caught fire, killing four people, and an explosion caused by a leaking oil pipeline last November in the eastern port city of Qingdao killed 62 people.
Such incidents have fueled opposition to allowing oil-handling facilities in densely populated cities.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Members of the public have grown more alarmed about the proximity of oil lines to municipal utility lines, residential neighborhoods and commercial districts.