IN BRIEF (Page 12)

South Korea

1 killed, 3 injured in factory explosion

One worker was killed and three others were seriously injured in a chemical explosion that occurred on Monday afternoon at a mobile phone parts factory in central South Korea, according to local media reports. The chemical, estimated to be sodium, exploded at 2:29 pm at the factory in Jecheon, North Chungcheong Province, nearly 170 kilometers southeast of the capital Seoul. Local media reported that a 38-year-old employee, identified by his surname Lee, was confirmed dead, with three others suffering burns all over their bodies. The wounded were taken to hospitals. The blaze was extinguished in about 10 minutes. The exact cause of the explosion was under investigation.

India

New Delhi hit by rare air pollution alert

New Delhi suffered a rare summer air pollution alert on Monday as dust storms and heat over northern India took smog to hazardous levels. The city is blanketed in a toxic smog of car fumes, agricultural smoke and factory waste most winters, but it is less severe in summer. On Monday, the government's air quality index hit "very poor" with PM 2.5 particles, the most harmful, at 154 micrograms per cubic meter. Clouds of dust swirled around the streets and many people brought out masks generally used in winter. Indian cities made up 14 of the world's 15 most polluted cities in a UN survey in 2018. Air pollution contributes to hundreds of thousands of premature deaths each year in India, according to the United Nations.

Australia

Smell of durian causes hundreds to evacuate

Around 550 people were evacuated from a library after the smell of durian triggered fears of a gas leak, local media reported. Firefighters were called to the University of Canberra's library on Friday after reports of a strong smell of gas, officials said. After searching the building, firefighters located the source of the smell. "The lingering gas-like smell in the building is completely safe - someone left a durian fruit in one of our bins!" the library said on Facebook. Originally found in Indonesia, durian is known for its smell that evokes reactions from deep affection to intense disgust. It is banned from public transport and hotels in some Asian countries.

Xinhua - Afp

(China Daily 05/14/2019 page12)