A loaded truck caught fire on a ro-ro barge sailing on the Three Gorges Reservoir on 1 July, according to the Three Gorges Navigational Administration. Crew members immediately contacted authorities for help and applied a water hose to extinguish the flames. Eighteen other trucks on board the barge were forced to disembark while the cargo from truck in question, comprising foodstuffs and 13 tons of undeclared AIBN, was unloaded onto another vehicle. This was the first-ever major chemical scare in the waters of the Three Gorges involving undeclared dangerous goods.

According to regulations, barges carrying dangerous goods have to use a specially designated route and be accompanied by maritime authorities and the fire brigade.

Azobisisobutyronitrile, commonly known as AIBN, is a flammable solid that can explode if dissolved in acetone.