CHONGQING: Workers managed to cap a leaking gas well on Friday after it began emitting fumes since March 25 in Kaixian County, Chongqing Municipality.

The workers were successful in their third attempt to cap the well since Monday, which began at 3:30am Friday and ended around 6am.

Rescue workers used adhesive gel to fill the leak and alumina cement to cover the well, according to the China National Petroleum Corporation, which owns the well.

The adhesive gel was invented by Chinese scientists, according to Ai Yang, deputy secretary-general of Chongqing municipal government.

The situation at the gas well is still being monitored by the rescue team, said Chen Cheng, an official with the Chongqing Armed Police Firefighting Team. "They will watch the well for 48 hours," said Chen.

More than 7,000 students will resume classes next week after they were evacuated from the surrounding area during the gas leak.

Zhao Yuankun, chief of the general office of the Kaixian county government, said houses would be rented for use as makeshift classrooms for the students.

In total, 15,000 locals were evacuated after the leak.

Although they were provided with free board and lodging, most of the evacuees were eager to return home, said Liao Yisheng, a farmer in Gaoqiao Town.

They were concerned about their pigs and chickens left behind important sources of income for the farmers.

Some 300 government officials and 40 militiamen in the county kept guard over the farmers' empty homes to make sure the pigs and chickens did not go missing, while the county government transported 20 tons of feed to the households, said Jiang Youyi, Kaixian county Party chief.

No deaths or major injuries were reported when the gas well began leaking on Saturday in a mountainous area of Kaixian County.

Several earlier attempts to plug the well with cement and chemical slurry failed.

(China Daily 04/01/2006 page1)