HARBIN, Nov. 24 (Xinhuanet) -- Deputy general manager of China National Petroleum Corp.(CNPC) Zeng Yukang expressed his sincere sympathy and deep apologies to the residents of northeast China's Heilongjiang province, for the pollution of the Songhua River caused by the blast in a chemical plant under the CNPC Jilin Petrochemical Company.

    Zeng, who is also director of Daqing Petroleum Administration Bureau, came to Harbin on Wednesday, heading a drilling crew whichis to dig 100 deep groundwater wells for universities and collegesas well as water and heat suppliers in the city.

    He made an apology on behalf of the CNPC to residents along the Songhua River on the pollution of the major city water source, saying that it is CNPC's duty to help treat the pollution, according to the city government of Harbin on Thursday.

    The blast took place at about 1:45 p.m. on Nov. 13 in a workshop of the No. 101 Chemical Plant under the CNPC Jilin Petrochemical Company based in Jilin City, some 100 km east to Changchun, the provincial capital. Five people were killed and about 70 people were injured. Enditem

The State Environment Protection Administration confirmed Wednesday that pollutants containing benzene and nitrobenzene contaminated the Songhua River after a chemical-plant blast at the upper reaches in Northeast China. [newsphoto]

     Jilin Vice-governor apologizes

     HARBIN, Nov. 24 (Xinhuanet) -- Vice-governor of Jilin Province Jiao Zhengzhong expressed his sincere sympathy and deep apologies to residents of Harbin, capital of neighboring Heilongjiang Province, northeast China, for the pollution of the Songhua River caused by blast in a chemical plant in Jilin.

    Jiao, who is also secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Committee of Jilin City, where the blast took place, came to Harbin to discuss ways to treat the pollution on Wednesday and make an apology to Harbin residents on the pollution of the Songhua River, a major city water source, according to the city government of Harbin on Thursday.

    The blast took place at about 1:45 p.m. on Nov. 13 in a workshop of the No. 101 Chemical Plant under the CNPC Jilin Petrochemical Company based in Jilin City, some 100 km east to Changchun, the provincial capital. Five people were killed and about 70 people were injured.

    Jilin provincial and Jilin city governments immediately closed the pipelines that caused the pollution.

    "People of Heilongjiang and Jilin provinces shared water source from the same Songhua River and it was the obligatory duty of the two provinces to safeguard the mother river," said Shi Zhongxin, deputy secretary of the Harbin city CPC committee and mayor of Harbin.

    Shi said the Harbin city government had informed local residents of the pollution situation and took emergency measures to deal with the pollution. Enditem