Chlorine leak in Georgia poisons 73, investigation underway

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73 people have been poisoned and are now being treated in hospital after a chlorine leak at a water distribution facility in Georgia late on Tuesday.

Emergency Ministry workers spent the night washing away the spillage on a road from an 800 liter tank of chlorine. One of those hospitalized, an 18-year old asthma sufferer, is in critical condition. Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili has visited one of the hospitals, which had treated 30 of the affected residents in Tbilisi.

Police have launched an investigation and questioned the private company that ran the facility. They suspect the chemical accident was caused by negligence and poor maintenance.