Jilin Suspend Viscose Filament Production  

Jilin Chemical Fiber Group Co., Ltd. (SZ: 000420) announced on May 13th that its 452 workers had been hospitalized since May 4th because of the indisposed symptom such as dizziness, vomiting, chest distress, and the company has to suspend its production of viscose filament from May 13th (viscose staple fiber production is in regular production).
   Some employees of the state-owned company and nearby residents reportedly felt sick for unknown reasons starting April 23rd.
   It is firstly believed that the accident was caused by some unknown noxious gas leaking from a nearby chemical plant of Jilin Connel Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.  (Connel), but this conjecture was not verified by the following testing data. The Jilin provincial government had ordered Connel to stop aniline operation. On April 30th, Connel discontinued the production of the 150 000 t/a aniline project that just came on stream in April 2009. (CCR2009 No.13)
   The municipal health bureau had conducted the investigation about this event and published the result on May 14th that these patients' indisposed symptom was "related to psychogenic factors" and has no relationship with toxic chemicals.
   As reported, the suspended viscose filament capacity occupies nearly 10% of the national total and contributes about 25% of the company's total sale.