Residents of the Sichuan city of Mianyang are buying up bottled water after heavy rain washed manganese into the river that provides their tap water.
The government on Tuesday warned residents not to drink the water after discovering that manganese residue from a factory in the nearby city of Aba had run into the Fujiang River.
That warning sent residents rushing to the shops to load their baskets with water bottles and the local government was forced to deploy its fire engines to distribute some 4,000 tons of water.
The government has said that it will punish anyone who hoards water in order to sell it at higher prices, and has told residents that the tap water is safe for other uses, such as washing.
Analysis of the water from Fujiang River on Wednesday afternoon indicates that the manganese content is falling.
Sources
China Daily (Image)
