Ammonia leak kills 15 in Shanghai

Rescuers walk inside a refrigeration unit of Shanghai Weng's Cold Storage Industrial Co. Ltd., in the Baoshan district of Shanghai August 31, 2013. A liquid ammonia leak from the refrigeration unit at the cold storage facility in Shanghai on Saturday has killed 15 people and injured 26 others, local authorities said. (Reuters)

A leak of liquid ammonia at a refrigeration unit of a plant in Shanghai has left 15 people dead according to state media.

The one-sentence report from the official Xinhua News Agency did not give any other details on the chemical leak.

The Shanghai government Information Office said the accident happened at a plant in the Baoshan district of the east coast city, and that six of the injured were in serious condition.

26 others have been reportedly left injured. Local media have published pictures of emergency response teams wearing breathing equipment and protective clothing entering the scene.

Industrial accidents are common in China due to lax safety and building standards.

The Shanghai government Information Office said the accident happened at a plant in the Baoshan district of the east coast city, and that six of the injured were in serious condition.

The Xinhua News Agency identified the plant as Weng's Cold Storage Industrial Company.

The Information Office added that rescue work at the plant was now finished. The cause of the leak has not yet been established.

Additional reporting by Associated Press