A chemical spill on national highway 316 caused the suspension for several hours of services on the Gansu section of the Longhai railway, reported China Daily.

The Ministry of Railways said that a tank truck spilled silicon tetrachloride, a volatile liquid that fumes in the air. This damaged power supply equipment on the nearby Longhai railway, one of China’s major east-west rail lines that stretches from Lanzhou in Gansu province to Lianyungang in Jiangsu province. Three passenger trains about 3km from the leak had to stop and were pulled to safety. A passenger on one of the trains said services were delayed for at least five hours.

Shuai Bin, deputy dean of the School of Traffic and Logistics at Southwest Jiaotong University, said the railway authorities should develop contingency plans for dealing with emergencies in the transportation of dangerous goods, including how to organise professional rescue teams. He also argued that road inspection regulations should be strengthened to prevent vehicles from illegally carrying dangerous substances.

Silicon tetrachloride is used in the production of photovoltaic cells.