Highway chemical spill blocks major rail route for five hours

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BEIJING - The Longhai railway, one of China's major east-west rail lines, resumed operations on Monday morning after the Gansu province section was blocked for several hours due to a chemical leak, the Ministry of Railways said.

According to a statement on the ministry's website, a tank wagon carrying silicon tetrachloride, a strong acid, broke down on the 316 national highway in Wushan county in Gansu province at 4:40 pm on Sunday. The chemical leaked from the vehicle, producing large amounts of white mist after it reacted with rain.