Ammonia gas leak injures four, panics thousands in Saigon

Four people were hospitalized on Tuesday afternoon in the wake of an ammonia gas leak that also killed scores of livestock and poultry in the outskirts of Saigon.

When the accident happened, locals spotted white smoke and an unpleasant smell coming from a gas extraction station on An Phu Tay Street in Binh Chanh District before seeing many workers running out, struggling to breathe and even vomiting blood.

The gas killed many plants, pets, livestock and poultry nearby and prompted a mass evacuation of more than 1,000 students and locals.

According to eyewitnesses, the pipe broke as workers were extracting the gas from a truck at the station, causing the leak.

The four victims included a passer-by, the truck driver and two workers. They are now in stable condition.