Beijing: Nine people have died and three seriously injured in deadly chlorine leak and subsequent explosion in Southwest China's Chongqing municipality, an official report said today (Apr 17, 2004).

Air and drinking water quality in the city have returned to normal standard today after explosions rocked Tianyuan chemical industry plant located in Chongqing city's Jiangbei, Xinua news agency reported.

Eight senior management staff and one worker died in the explosion last evening (Apr 16, 2004). The leaks were first detected late Thursday (Apr 15, 204), releasing high-concentration of highly irritating, greenish-yellow chlorine gas.

The municipal environment monitoring centre has set up 11 air quality stations in the major downtown districts, five of which are around the chemical plant.

By early morning today, the chlorine quantity in the air monitored by the centre had been back to normal, Deputy Director of the bureau, Wang Lijun said.

Firemen had been spraying sodium hydroxide liquid at the site since the explosion happened on late Thursday to neutralise the chlorine gas.

The city's environment bureau also monitored two sections of Jialing river which runs through the city and said the water was not polluted.

The water piped from the river is unpolluted and can be used as drinking water, the local Government said.

The three injured people are now out of danger and in stable conditions, local officials said.