Local people in Thanh Hoa Province are worried after thousands of litres of oil spilt on the streets from a military fuel station.

Dam Khac Truong, chairman of Quang Hung Ward, confirmed the mass spills at a military fuel station on December 18.

The scum oil tank overflowed on December 14 following rain. It is estimated that about 4,000 litres of oil spilt out to the streets and 800 metres into the sewer system. The oil also got into a nearby 5-hectare rice field.

A fire broke out in a sewer in Quang Hung Ward the following day. Firefighters were called to the scene on time and no one was hurt but trees and nearby crops were damaged.

Locals said they could still smell an intense oil scent and feared that more fires would break out in the near future since there was still oil in the sewer and rice field. The lives of hundreds of households are being threatened.

A special team set up by Thanh Hoa People's Committee is working with the border guards and firefighters and other agencies to deal with the aftermath. The authorities also assigned employees to monitor dangerous areas in case of fire.

The oil may have soaked into the underground water so it will be even more difficult to deal with. The impact of the accident on the residential area hasn't been accurately assessed.

Some photos of the case:

Oil spilled on to the streets

Dtinews